AIRMADE™ SAF is expected to power Overture’s net zero carbon flight test program.
What if CO2 in the atmosphere could power an airplane? That’s a question AIR COMPANY asked themselves — and answered with AIRMADE™ SAF.
The aviation industry contributes to CO2 in our atmosphere. Commercial airplanes and large business jets contribute about 10 percent of transportation emissions, a figure expected to triple by 2050 as air travel continues to grow. So what if you could power flight sustainability by harnessing CO2 before it reaches the atmosphere? That’s why Boom Supersonic partnered with AIR COMPANY for a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) offtake agreement.
AIR COMPANY will provide up to 5 million gallons of AIRMADE™ SAF on an annual basis over the duration of the Overture flight test program, advancing Boom’s net zero carbon commitments. Using the same patented and proprietary technology used to create its consumer ethanol, AIR COMPANY has developed and deployed its single-step process for CO2-derived fuel production using renewable electricity.
“Given the criticality of SAF to rapidly decarbonize aviation, Boom and our customers have a responsibility to help net-zero carbon SAF scale,” said Ben Murphy, Boom’s VP of Sustainability. “Early buy-in from future SAF users like us sends a critical signal to researchers, producers, and investors that the demand is there.”
So how does the AIRMADE™ Technology work? AIR COMPANY is already using their technology to make sustainable, carbon-negative products such as fragrance and vodka.
Their process includes five steps:
- CO2 Capture: The CO2 used in their production is captured and sourced from industrial plants prior to it being emitted into the atmosphere. It then arrives in tanks after it has been cooled, pressurized and liquified.
- Electrolysis: AIR COMPANY creates their own green hydrogen through on-site electrolysis with renewable energy. Their electrolyzer splits water (H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2). The created oxygen gas is released as clean air into the atmosphere, and the hydrogen gas is fed into the Carbon Conversion Reactor with the captured CO2.
- Carbon Conversion: Their patented and proprietary Carbon Conversion Reactor system is where the captured CO2 and green hydrogen (H2) meet and are converted. Within their Reactor is a tubular, fixed-bed flow system. The CO2 and H2 rise to each tube, which are filled with the company’s patented catalyst. This facilitates a chemical reaction that produces a reactor liquid. The reactor liquid is composed of alcohols, alkanes, and water.
- Distillation: AIR COMPANY’s proprietary distillation process separates the components of the reactor liquid. Alcohol (such as our ethanol and methanol), alkanes, and water all have different boiling points, and therefore when heated to a specific temperature, separate.
- Outputs: Their impurity-free, carbon-negative AIRMADE™ alcohols and alkanes are funneled into separate totes and are either distributed to their partners, or are used in their own AIR products. The water that is created is fed back into the electrolyzer to begin the process again.
By scaling this technology within air travel and all other applicable industries, the projected impact could avoid 10.8% of global CO2 emissions, the equivalent of more than 4.6 billion tons of CO2 annually.
Boom’s agreement with AIR COMPANY is the latest in a series of milestones Boom has achieved on its path to bring sustainable supersonic flight to millions of travelers. Boom was also the first aircraft manufacturer to sign the Amazon Climate Pledge in 2020, committing to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement by 2040.
Boom recently released its findings after conducting extensive research analyzing key drivers required to achieve exponential growth in the SAF industry. Emerging SAF technologies can reduce up to 100% of carbon emissions compared to traditional jet fuel it replaces.
While SAF production is still in its infancy, the SAF industry is well poised to achieve exponential growth seen in other renewable energy sectors. If SAF scales at the rate of solar energy, it could reach projected international jet fuel demand by 2036. This growth is necessary to address the global demand for aviation fuel with SAF in the 2030-2045 timeframe.
Read more about SAF in Boom’s white paper.
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FAQs
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is an alternative fuel made from non-petroleum feedstocks that reduces emissions from air transportation. SAF can be blended at different levels with limits between 10% and 50%, depending on the feedstock and how the fuel is produced.
What fuel will Boom Overture use? ›
The Boom Symphony is planned as a two-spool medium-bypass turbofan engine for use on Overture. The engine is intended to produce 35,000 pounds (160 kN) of thrust at takeoff, sustain Overture supercruise at Mach 1.7, and burn sustainable aviation fuel exclusively.
Is there enough sustainable aviation fuel? ›
However, there isn't enough SAF to meet global demand for even a week and it isn't cost competitive. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is the most promising lever known today to accelerate progress toward a net zero future.
How much is sustainable aviation fuel per gallon? ›
Well, GlobalAir quotes the average price of Jet-A in the USA at US$6.45 per gallon, and the average price of SAF at $9.28 per gallon at the time of writing. The UC Riverside team calculates a production cost as low as $3.15 per gallon for its CELF (co-solvent enhanced lignocellulosic fractionation) production process.
What is a sustainable fuel? ›
terminology, and it is defined as 'any fuel that has. the potential to generate lower carbon emissions than conventional kerosene on a life cycle basis'. ICAO also uses the term 'sustainable aviation fuel'.
What is the benefit of sustainable aviation fuel? ›
One of the primary advantages of SAF is its potential to reduce lifecycle carbon emissions as compared to traditional aviation fuels. Depending on the feedstock, SAF is able to reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80%, resulting in a substantial decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by aviation.
What will replace aviation fuel? ›
Ammonia (NH3) is perceived as a potential fuel for gas turbines as it has a high H2 content but not any carbon atoms. Ammonia, mixed with H2 or LCH4, can be used as aviation fuel in low blending or as a dual fuel solution in modified aircraft engines and fuel cells.
Who is the largest producer of sustainable aviation fuel? ›
As of February 7th, 2023, the U.S. American chemicals and biofuels company Gevo was the lead producer of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) with an offtake volume of more than 9.3 billion liters. Fulcrum ranked second with over 6.7 billion liters.
Which airlines use sustainable aviation fuel? ›
Neste MY SAF provides a safe, immediate, proven, and reliable solution used by many leading commercial airlines, including Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, and cargo carriers such as DHL Group, Amazon Prime Air and UPS for aviation related emission reduction.
Who buys sustainable aviation fuel? ›
Last month, the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance said close to 20 corporate aviation customers, including Meta Platforms Inc. (ticker: META), AstraZeneca PLC (AZN), Morgan Stanley (MS) and Netflix Inc. (NFLX) had committed to buying $200 million in SAF credits over a five-year period.
With today's fuel prices, it costs about $450,000 to fill up a Boeing 747, depending on your market. By contrast, the Gulfstream G280, a popular business aviation aircraft, costs around $8,000 to fill.
How clean is sustainable aviation fuel? ›
Air transport represents approximately 2-3% of global human-induced GHG emissions. SAF is one of the means the aviation industry is using to reduce that carbon footprint. On average, SAF can reduce CO2 emissions by 80% compared to traditional jet fuel.
Can sustainable aviation fuel clean up flying? ›
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is made from feedstocks such as used cooking oil, can reduce emissions from flying by up to 80 per cent.
How can we make sustainable aviation fuel? ›
Sustainable aviation fuel is not derived from fossil-based oil or gas, and therefore has a lower carbon impact across its lifecycle. Instead, it is made by refining organic or waste substances, or created synthetically, which means it is made from captured carbon dioxide and renewable or zero carbon electricity.
What is the mixture of sustainable aviation fuel? ›
However, unlike traditional jet fuel fully derived from fossil resources, today's SAF is a blend of conventional fossil fuel and synthetic components made from a range of renewable “feedstock” (such as used cooking oils, fats, plant oils, municipal, agricultural and forestry waste).
What is the difference between jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel? ›
SAF is a biofuel used to power aircraft that has similar properties to conventional jet fuel but with a smaller carbon footprint. Depending on the feedstock and technologies used to produce it, SAF can reduce life cycle GHG emissions dramatically compared to conventional jet fuel.
