JetBlue has committed to buying millions of gallons of carbon-neutral SAF from Air Company, which creates fuel from carbon dioxide. Olivia Palamountain reports
US airline JetBlue is accelerating its transition to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) thanks to a new agreement with Air Company, a carbon technology company that creates carbon-negative alcohols and fuels from carbon dioxide (CO2).
JetBlue will purchase 25 million gallons of Air Company’s pioneering Airmade SAF over five years, from 2027.
SAF that is currently available from other companies offers approximately 80 per cent reduction in emissions per net gallon on a lifecycle basis.
Howerver, Air Company’s carbon-neutral fuel made from captured CO2 not only takes a step forward, offering an additional 14 per cent reduction – or total 94 per cent greenhouse gase reduction – but also uses an abundant and freely available “feedstock” (in this case, carbon dioxide). SAF can also be made from palm oil, used cooking oil, animal fat and algae, for example.
Using the same proprietary technology that mimics photosynthesis to create their consumer ethanol, Air Company has developed and deployed its single-step process for CO2-derived fuel.
The value of Air Company’s technology and its potential to rapidly scale SAF supply by creating renewable fuels from captured CO2 can also be seen in its list of launch partners which include respected organizations across multiple industries including military and commercial aviation.
This advancement offers an additional path to achieving commercial viability for SAF in the mainstream, which will be key to the aviation industry’s net-zero goals.
Air Company joins JetBlue’s growing list of SAF partnerships as it advances its goal to convert 10 per cent of its total fuel usage to SAF on a blended basis by 2030 and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Sara Bogdan, director of sustainability and environmental social governance at JetBluem says: “SAF is one of the most promising avenues for addressing aviation emissions currently available. With creative thinking backed by science, Air Company’s work to leverage captured carbon, a resource distinct from other SAF feedstocks, represents the kind of innovation that can expand SAF availability and grow the market necessary to reach our industry goals.”
In addition to its fuel line, AIR COMPANY also has three consumer products on the market at present – Air Vodka, Air Hand Sanitizer and Air Eau de Parfum – all of which are made using only carbon dioxide (CO2), water and renewable energy.