An Australian government agency has co-authored a report outlining a roadmap for the development of a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry in that country.
The roadmap was jointly produced by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and Boeing. The project follows other recent moves by the government and the aviation industry to accelerate the establishment of SAF production in Australia.
One of the key aims of the report is “identifying opportunities to produce and scale [SAF] production using Australian feedstocks,” CSIRO says.
The roadmap authors estimate that if feedstock supply is improved, “Australia is currently sitting on enough resources to produce almost 5 billion liters [1.3 billion gal.] of SAF by 2025.” This amount could supply nearly 60% of Australia’s jet fuel demand projected for 2025, CSIRO says.
Feedstock could come from agricultural waste and residues in the near term. The report identifies available material such as sugarcane, sawmill residues and municipal solid waste. In the medium to long term, hydrogen and carbon dioxide could be used for SAF production.
Government, industry and research sectors must work together to overcome challenges including feedstock availability, supply chain constraints and aligning to international standards and regulation, says Max Temminghoff, CSIRO senior manager and lead author of the roadmap.
The report also highlights the role the Australian Defense Force could play in helping spur demand for the development of a domestic SAF industry, adds Heidi Hauf, Boeing regional sustainability lead and roadmap co-author.
A high-level industry-government panel known as the Jet Zero Council has already been established to support SAF industry development efforts and provide policy advice to law-makers. The members of the council were recently announced by the government.
Boeing and CSIRO are members of the Jet Zero Council, and the roadmap aligns with the council’s work, CSIRO says.
Qantas has been one of the leaders in pushing for the creation of an Australian SAF industry, and it has established an A$400 million ($264 million) fund to help with its development. Airbus has also contributed to this fund.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency announced another SAF funding initiative in July.
