Neste and NuStar Energy L.P. announced that supply trucks are now able to load Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel at the NuStar-operated Selby Terminal near San Francisco, California. The first gallons have been safely picked up and delivered to the nearby Monterey Regional Airport. Due to the strategic location of... Read more →

Total has begun producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at its La Mède biorefinery in southern France and its Oudalle facility near Le Havre. The biojet fuel, made from used cooking oil, will be delivered to French airports starting in April 2021. Total will also be able to produce SAF as... Read more →

In 2020, the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) launched the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck Consortium (M2FCT) to leverage the potential opportunity fuel cells in the heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) market and to align with the H2@Scale vision for clean and affordable hydrogen across multiple... Read more →

Through its UPS Flight Forward subsidiary, UPS plans to purchase electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft from Beta Technologies (BETA) as part of its innovation-driven strategy to identify new ways to help small businesses with sustainable solutions. BETA’s ALIA-250 is the result of 3 years of design and development.... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced the availability of $61.4 million for technologies that produce low-cost, low-carbon biofuels. (DE-FOA-0002396) Topic areas for the “Bioenergy Technologies Office Scale-Up and Conversion” funding opportunity include high-impact biotechnology research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) to bolster the body of scientific... Read more →

LanzaJet, Inc., a leading sustainable fuels technology company and sustainable fuels producer, announced that Shell has joined as an investor in the company to advance LanzaJet’s global growth, accelerate commercialization of its technology, and scale the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). LanzaJet’s technology opens up a new and exciting... Read more →

ZeroAvia is launching the development program for a 2MW hydrogen-electric powertrain for full-size regional aircraft. The program kick-off is supported by a new raise of $24.3 million, led by Horizons Ventures, joined by a new investor: British Airways. Existing investors Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Ecosystem Integrity Fund, Summa Equity, Shell Ventures,... Read more →

The Government of Canada announced a $2,890,000-investment in the University of Alberta’s biojet technology. The University of Alberta, along with project partners Alberta Innovates, FORGE Hydrocarbons Inc., Western Economic Diversification Canada, Future Energy Systems, CanmetENERGY Devon and Edmonton International Airport, are also providing funding toward this $7.4-million project. The investment... Read more →

Airbus has launched the “Advanced Superconducting and Cryogenic Experimental powertraiN Demonstrator” (ASCEND) to explore the impact of superconducting materials and cryogenic temperatures on the performance of an aircraft’s electrical propulsion systems. The introduction of superconducting materials can lower electrical resistance; thus, electrical current can supply power without energy loss. When... Read more →

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS)—the UK SME leading the Project Fresson consortium—will exploit recent advances in hydrogen fuel cell technology to develop a commercially viable, retrofit powertrain solution for the nine-passenger Britten-Norman Islander aircraft. Following a rigorous assessment of hydrogen technology innovators, CAeS welcomes Ricardo UK Ltd and Innovatus Technologies Ltd... Read more →

Rolls-Royce has officially started building the world’s largest aero-engine, UltraFan. Work on the first module is underway at the DemoWorks facility in Derby, UK, and the demonstrator engine, which has a fan diameter of 140 inches, will be completed by the end of the year. Artist’s impression of the UltraFan... Read more →

A new study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) on aviation fuel burn and associated greenhouse gas emissions has found that overall fuel burn and, therefore, CO2 emissions from US airlines increased by 7% from 2005 to 2019. Further, the study found that low-cost carriers (LCCs) such as... Read more →

Deutsche Post DHL Group will invest a total of €7 billion (opex and capex) over the next ten years in measures to reduce its CO2 emissions. The funds will flow in particular into alternative aviation fuels, the expansion of the zero-emission e-vehicle fleet and climate-neutral buildings. For short distances and... Read more →

Insitu, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company, announced new details about its latest efforts to advance hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). In December 2020, Insitu completed the first flight of the ScanEagle3 UAV powered by an all-electric, hydrogen fueled, PEM fuel cell. The 30-minute flight confirmed... Read more →

A team of aerospace specialists has launched the first in-flight emissions study using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on a wide-body commercial passenger aircraft. Airbus, German research center DLR, Rolls-Royce and SAF producer Neste have teamed up to start the pioneering ‘Emission and Climate Impact of Alternative Fuels’ (ECLIF3) project... Read more →

Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the University of Dayton, Yale University, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) from food waste–derived volatile fatty acids (VFA) by targeting normal paraffins for a near-term path to market and branched isoparaffins to increase... Read more →

Rolls-Royce and airframer Tecnam are joining forces with Widerøe—the largest regional airline in Scandinavia—to deliver an all-electric passenger aircraft for the commuter market, ready for revenue service in 2026. The project expands on the successful research program between Rolls-Royce and Widerøe on sustainable aviation and the existing partnership between Rolls-Royce... Read more →

Rolls-Royce’s technology will power Vertical Aerospace’s flagship Urban Air Mobility (UAM) aircraft. A Rolls-Royce electrical power system will be integrated into the VA-X4 piloted all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle, which will carry up to four passengers and the pilot for 120 miles at cruise speeds of more than... Read more →

LiquidPiston, Inc., a developer of advanced rotary internal combustion engines, has adapted its X-Engine technology for the United States Air Force to use in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) as well as “orbs”—urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles designed to carry people and cargo. The X-Engine, a next-generation rotary diesel engine, is... Read more →

Rolls-Royce has successfully completed the taxiing of its ‘Spirit of Innovation’ aircraft, the latest milestone on its way to becoming the world’s fastest all-electric plane. (Earlier post.) The plane is part of a Rolls-Royce initiative called ACCEL, short for “Accelerating the Electrification of Flight”. The ACCEL project team includes key... Read more →

Gevo, Inc. and HCS Group GmbH, a long-time customer of Gevo, have signed a project memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop and to build a renewable hydrocarbon facility at HCS Group’s site located in Speyer, Germany, which would utilize Gevo’s low-carbon sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technology: Alcohol-to-Jet Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene.... Read more →

ARPA-E released $10 million in funding for 6 projects as part of the Connecting Aviation By Lighter Electrical Systems (CABLES) topic. CABLES is one of a set of projects supported by an ongoing funding opportunity for a range of the most innovative and unconventional ideas across the energy technology spectrum,... Read more →

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and partner institute Empa have started a joint research initiative called SynFuels. The goal is to develop a process for producing kerosene from carbond dioxide and green hydrogen. Over the next three years, the two Swiss research institutes will jointly search for practical... Read more →

British Airways will power future flights with sustainable aviation fuel produced from sustainably-sourced ethanol, as part of a new partnership with sustainable jet fuel company LanzaJet. British Airways will invest in LanzaJet’s first commercial-scale Freedom Pines Fuels facility in Georgia and acquire cleaner burning sustainable aviation fuel from the plant.... Read more →

Skyworks Aeronautics Corp. announced a $100-million investment commitment from GEM Global Yield LLC SCS, a Luxembourg-based private alternative investment group. Under the agreement, GEM will provide Skyworks Aeronautics with a Share Subscription Facility of up to $100 million for a 36-month term following a public listing of the Skyworks Aeronautics... Read more →

Rolls-Royce has conducted the first tests of 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in a business jet engine. The tests on its latest business aviation engine in development, the Pearl 700, in Dahlewitz, Germany, came just weeks after unblended SAF was successfully used for the first time in engine ground tests... Read more →

The Future Flight Challenge was created to develop aviation infrastructure and systems that enable the next generation of electric and autonomous air vehicles. Air-One is a world-first fully-operational hub for future electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft—such as cargo drones and air taxis—to be launched in Coventry (UK) later... Read more →

Terrafugia, Inc. has achieved a significant milestone by obtaining an FAA Special Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) airworthiness certificate for its Transition roadable aircraft. As a unique integration of a two-seat aircraft and an automobile, the Transition is designed to meet safety standards from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the... Read more →

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) specialist Blue Bear Systems Research, a UK Small to Medium Enterprise, has formed a seven-strong consortium to develop a next-generation, all-electric propulsion module to enhance aircraft performance while reducing operating costs. The propulsion module is a scalable design and is the first in a range of... Read more →

The German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) has commissioned the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to plan a pilot plant for the production of electricity-based (electrofuel) renewable kerosene for aviation. By switching to electricity-based kerosene, we can save millions of tons of CO2 emissions in air traffic. But... Read more →

Qantas and bp announced a strategic partnership to advance their shared net zero ambitions further. Through the collaboration, the companies will work together on opportunities to reduce carbon emissions in the aviation sector and contribute to the development of a sustainable aviation fuel industry in Australia. The two companies have... Read more →

ECB Group Paraguay and Shell Trading (US) Company signed a multi-year contract that will provide more than 500 million liters (130 million gallons US) of renewable diesel and renewable jet fuel per year to Shell, one of the world’s largest energy companies. The contract is expected to run from 2024.... Read more →

Boeing is committing that its commercial airplanes are capable and certified to fly on 100% sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) by 2030. Boeing has previously conducted successful test flights replacing petroleum jet fuel with 100% sustainable fuels. Today, sustainable aviation fuels are mixed directly with conventional jet fuel in up to... Read more →

The FLITE (Fuel via Low Carbon Integrated Technology from Ethanol) consortium, led by SkyNRG and with LanzaTech as the technology provider, will build the first-of-its-kind LanzaJet Alcohol to Jet (AtJ) facility. The facility will convert waste-based ethanol to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a scale of more than 30,000 tons/yr.... Read more →

As the European Union is about to unveil new targets for sustainable aviation fuel in 2021, a group of major European aviation companies—including KLM, Easyjet, Air France, International Airlines Group—as well as research organizations and environmental groups are calling for a more stringent policy approach to sustainability and the sector’s... Read more →

At cruising altitude, airplanes emit a steady stream of NOx into the atmosphere, where the chemicals can linger to produce ozone and fine particulates. Previous research has shown that the generation of these chemicals due to global aviation results in 16,000 premature deaths each year. Now, MIT engineers are proposing... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding an additional $47 million in funding for seven projects as part of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s (ARPA-E) Seeding Critical Advances for Leading Energy technologies with Untapped Potential (SCALEUP) program. Three of the projects (Sila, 24M and Ionic Materials) are scaling up... Read more →

Neste and Avfuel Corporation announced a strategic partnership to create an efficient, continuous supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the United States. Neste will provide Avfuel with SAF in volumes able to meet the growing demands of Avfuel’s customers, including fixed base operators (FBOs), airports, flight departments, original equipment... Read more →

Archer, a manufacturer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) have entered into a definitive agreement to enable Archer to benefit from access to FCA’s low-cost supply chain, advanced composite material capabilities, and engineering and design experience. The new partnership will help accelerate Archer’s... Read more →

Israel-based Urban Aeronautics Ltd. reached an agreement to provide four CityHawk VTOL aircraft to Hatzolah Air for emergency medical service (EMS) applications. In addition, Hatzolah Air will become Urban Aeronautics’ official sales representative and distribution channel to other EMS and Rescue organizations worldwide. In August 2020, the two companies signed... Read more →

Amazon announced its first purchase—rather than a lease—of eleven Boeing 767-300 aircraft. The purchases include seven aircraft from Delta and four aircraft from WestJet; the aircraft will join the Amazon network by 2022. Amazon Air’s fleet expansion comes at a time when customers are relying on fast, free shipping more... Read more →

Airbus is conducting studies to determine how scalable a hydrogen fuel cell “pod” configuration, among others, could be to large commercial aircraft. The aviation industry has developed numerous configurations—twinjet, s-duct, winglets, contra-rotating propellers—over the last five decades that have enabled aircraft to fly higher, faster and longer. Now, Airbus engineers... Read more →

Global aviation data firm Cirium released its new Airline Insights Review 2020 which reveals the deep impact on aviation of worldwide travel restrictions to curb COVID-19. The report shows that the pandemic and its consequences wiped out 21 years of global passenger traffic growth in a matter of months, reducing... Read more →

The MAHEPA consortium announced that technology developed as part of the project has been successfully proven in flight on board the Hy4 fuel cell hybrid electric aircraft (earlier post). The sixth-generation of hydrogen propulsion has been completely revised from 2016 to 2020, according to aviation requirements. As part of the... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for airplanes used in commercial aviation and large business jets. This action will align US standards with the international carbon dioxide emissions standards already set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In its technical support document for... Read more →

Researchers at the University of Oxford have developed a method to convert CO2 directly into aviation fuel using a novel, inexpensive iron-based catalyst. The catalyst shows a carbon dioxide conversion through hydrogenation to hydrocarbons in the aviation jet fuel range of 38.2%, with a yield of 17.2%, and a selectivity... Read more →

Neste, the world’s leading provider of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has signed an agreement to supply SAF to DHL Express, the express service arm of Deutsche Post DHL Group, world’s leading mail and logistics company. The DHL Group is a pioneer of green logistics, utilizing its expertise... Read more →

Aeristech, a developer of electric motor technology, is expanding into aerospace. Aeristech’s aerospace facility will enable the company to begin offering its expertise in market-leading power-dense electric motors and motor controllers to the aerospace sector, including for hydrogen fuel-cell compressors, which will make it possible to reduce aviation emissions. Aeristech’s... Read more →

ZeroAvia, an innovator in decarbonizing commercial aviation, secured £12.3 million (US$16.6 million) in UK Government funding through the ATI Program to deliver a breakthrough 19-seat hydrogen-electric powered aircraft that is market-ready by 2023: the HyFlyer II project. To accomplish this, ZeroAvia will collaborate with two partners, the European Marine Energy... Read more →

Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Lockheed Martin Corporation in an all-cash transaction with a total equity value of $5.0 billion. Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc., is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion systems and... Read more →