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British Airways to become first airline to use sustainable fuel produced in United Kingdom

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British Airways is set to become the first airline to use fuel made out of recycled materials and produced in the UK.

Last week, British Airways reached a deal with Phillips 66 Humber Refinery to begin using sustainable jet fuel. The airline signed a contract promising to purchase thousands of tons of the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The fuel, which is made of recycled cooking oils and other household waste, will be in use as early as 2022. By 2030, the airline claims it will fuel 10% of its flights with SAF.

The fuel is reportedly able to fuel the equivalent of 700 transatlantic Boeing 787 flights and will produce zero net carbon emissions. Although it will still produce carbon emissions, the recycling process reduces “lifecycle CO2 emissions” to around 80% less than traditional jet fuels, making it a much more sustainable option.

An executive at British Airlines, Sean Doyle, said the move was “another important step on our journey to net zero carbon emissions,” and “The UK has the resources and capabilities to be a global leader in the development of SAF, and scaling up the production of SAF requires a truly collaborative approach between industry and government.”

The general manager of the refinery, Darren Cunningham, claimed the site would be the first in the UK to produce SAFs at scale. “We’re currently refining almost half a million liters of sustainable waste feedstocks a day, and this is just a start. Markets for lower-carbon products are growing, and this agreement demonstrates our ability to supply them.”

ARTICLE: RITA VOGT

MANAGING EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE

PHOTO CREDITS: ECO WATCH

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