While carbon offsetting has played a significant part in Victor’s environmental responsibility, we recognise that offsetting alone is not enough to reach Net Zero by 2050. The aviation industry continues to innovate in electrification and hydrogen fuel, but this will take at least 10-15 years to contribute meaningfully to a reduction in carbon emissions in our sector.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is recognised by the aviation industry as the key solution in decarbonising aviation that is ready and available today. Working in partnership with Neste, the world's leading producer of renewable fuels, Victor is on a long-term mission to promote awareness and adoption of sustainable fuel solutions within the wider business aviation industry.
What is SAF?
Sustainable Aviation Fuel is the next generation low carbon fuel to replace current fossil based jet fuel. It is produced from sustainably sourced waste and residue raw materials such as used cooking oils, and results in a carbon emission reduction of up to 80% compared to fossil jet fuel, over the lifecycle of the fuel. It also contains fewer impurities and burns cleaner resulting in less other emissions, too. Sustainable Aviation Fuel is commercially available, and is used in current aircraft by blending it with conventional jet fuel.
Why is SAF important?
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has identified SAF as the single biggest contributor to the aviation industry's 2050 Net Zero Carbon Emissions Commitment, with 65% of projected future carbon reductions needing to come from SAF consumption.
Victor’s adoption of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™
Victor has chosen to partner with Neste, the world’s leading producer of SAF. Neste has been producing SAF since 2011 and Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ is a safe, proven replacement for fossil jet fuel - already being used by many leading commercial airlines, including KLM, Lufthansa, Delta, American Airlines, and cargo carriers such as DHL Express, Amazon Prime Air and UPS.
Neste’s SAF solution is wholly aligned with the aviation guidance of Science Based Targets, which is considered the gold standard in ambitious corporate climate targets and reporting.
Our pioneering partnership with Neste enables Victor members to meet their climate targets by purchasing SAF on-demand for any private jet booking globally and to credibly report on their emission reductions. This makes Victor the first and only on-demand private jet charter provider to offer SAF for every booking, regardless of operator or departure airport. This is currently not available with any other private jet broker.
SAF vs fossil fuel lifecycles
The method used to calculate fuel life cycle emissions and emission reduction relies on the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) default Life Cycle Emission values.
CORSIA is a global scheme, adopted in 2016 by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. It helps the aviation industry to stabilise aviation's net CO2 emissions and make all growth in international flights after 2020 carbon neutral.
Jet fuel life cycle covers the whole lifecycle of the fuel from upstream emissions to fuel combustion. The upstream or so called Well-to-Tank (WTT) emissions include emissions from the production and transport of feedstock, fuel production and transport. Emissions from fuel combustion are called Tank-to-Wake (TTW) emissions. The whole lifecycle emissions are called Well-to-Wake (WTW).
We are all aware that the burning of fossil fuels increases the GHG concentration in the atmosphere, accelerating climate change. However, fuels produced from renewable raw materials, such as SAF, do not increase GHG concentrations in the atmosphere but are instead considered as carbon circulation (According to CORSIA and EU Renewable Energy Directive).
Carbon dioxide emissions from the use-phase of SAF are considered to amount to zero, because the CO2 released upon combustion equals the amount that the renewable raw material absorbed at an earlier stage. This results in a closed carbon cycle which doesn’t release additional carbon into the environment, unlike the burning of fossil fuels.
Lifecycle GHG emission reduction depends on the feedstocks and processes used to manufacture the fuel as there are also emissions related to the production and treatment of renewable raw materials, as well as fuel refining and all transportation steps.
As a baseline, the GHG emissions of fossil fuels over the lifecycle are 89 gCO2e/MJ. With Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™, the feedstocks will range from Used Cooking Oil based HEFA, which emit 13.9 gCO2e/MJ, to Tallow based HEFA which emit 22.5 gCO2e/MJ, resulting in an emission reduction of up to 80%.
SAF And Net Zero 2050
On 4th October 2021, the global aviation governing body IATA approved a resolution for the global air transport industry to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This commitment will align with the Paris Agreement goal for global warming not to exceed 1.5°C.
The scale of the industry in 2050 will require the mitigation of 1.8 gigatons of carbon. IATA forecasts that 65% of the target will be abated through sustainable aviation fuels. New propulsion technology such as hydrogen will address 13%, with efficiency improvements accounting for a further 3%. Carbon capture and storage could cover 11% and the balance of 8% met through offsets.
Current SAF production is 227 million litres globally per annum and to meet the 2050 target 449 billion litres needs to be produced. This step change will require significant investment on the part of the fuel manufacturers, along with the aviation industry to spread awareness and drive demand.
