Virgin gets £1 million government funding for demonstration SAF flight
Virgin Atlantic has secured £1 million of UK Government funding (ie. from taxpayers) to fly a Boeing 787 jet from London Heathrow to New York JFK next year using so called “sustainable aviation fuel” (SAF) instead of kerosene. Virgin Atlantic and its partners are putting in similar funding. The SAF is expected to be produced primarily from waste oil and fats, such as used cooking oil. (There aren’t enough waste oils and fats in the world to power many planes …). SAF can, in some circumstances, reduces carbon emissions by around 70% compared with kerosene. The claim is that the other 30% will magically be offset by buying carbon credits (which usually do not actually do anything to remove CO2 from the atmosphere). But SAF is expensive, and in short supply. Up till now, planes have only been allowed to fly with 50% SAF in an engine, but the UK DfT’s Baroness Vere said this plane with fly with 100%. Using SAF is the only realistic tool the aviation industry has, to cut its carbon emissions, other than flying efficiencies. Hydrogen and electric planes are unlikely to make much impact for many decades, if ever. .Tweet Virgin Atlantic to launch first transatlantic net zero flight Aircraft will be powered by sustainable aviation fuel in significant milestone By Philip
