US airline JetBlue is planning to speed up its transition to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with a supply agreement with bioenergy developer SG Preston, JetBlue announced on 29 September.
JetBlue said that the agreement, which doubled its previous SAF commitment with SG Preston, meant it would be well ahead of its target to convert 10% of its total fuel usage to SAF on a blended basis by 2030.
As part of the agreement, JetBlue said it would convert 30% of its fuel across John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) from traditional Jet-A fuel to SAF.
Starting in 2023 for a 10-year period, SG Preston would deliver at least 2.5bn litres (670M gallons) of blended SAF to JetBlue to fuel its flight operations at JFK, LGA and EWR, the statement said.
“We’re heavily investing in SAF because we see it as our most promising means of rapidly and directly reducing aircraft emissions in the near-term,” JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said.
SG Preston has made significant progress on a new facility in the Northeast for the large-scale production of SAF, according to the statement.
SG Preston’s HEFA (hydro-processed esters and fatty acids)-based renewable jet fuel would be produced from waste fats, oils, greases, and non-food oilseeds, the statement said.
