Boeing has announced it is buying 9.4 million gallons (35.6 million litres) of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) – the company’s largest annual SAF purchase, which is more than 60% higher than its buy in 2023.

Boeing says the blended SAF will support its 2024 US commercial operations, reduce its carbon emissions and work to help grow the supply of the fuel globally.

The blended fuel – 30% SAF made from waste by-products such as fats, oils, and greases and 70% conventional jet fuel – will support the Boeing ecoDemonstrator programme and Boeing US commercial operational flights.

Essential to decarbonise aviation

Ryan Faucett, vice president of environmental sustainability at Boeing, said: “As our focus remains on safety and quality, sustainability continues to be a priority.

“Sustainable aviation fuel is essential to decarbonise aviation. About 20% of our fuel usage is a SAF blend, and we continue to increase our use of this fuel to encourage growth in the SAF industry.

“We are also working to make SAF more available and affordable to our commercial airline customers through collaboration, investment, research and policy development.”

Unblended, or ‘neat’ SAF, is said to reduce carbon emissions up to 85% over the fuel’s lifecycle and offers the commercial aviation industry’s greatest potential to reduce its climate impact over the next 30 years.

Book-and-claim

Boeing states that it will receive 4 million gallons of the blended SAF into its fuel farms in the Pacific Northwest. EPIC Fuels, a Signature Aviation company, will supply 2.5 million gallons from Neste, and Avfuel will provide 1.5 million gallons of blended SAF from Neste.

Boeing will also purchase the CO2 emissions reduction associated with 5.4 million gallons of blended SAF through an accounting process called book-and-claim; when a company purchases SAF certificates to displace conventional jet fuel. Instead of putting the fuel into a Boeing fuel farm, distributors will deliver it to nearby airports for use by airlines and other carriers.

Boeing says that through book-and-claim purchases, EPIC Fuels will supply 3.5 million gallons of blended SAF made by Neste, while World Fuel Services will supply 1.9 million gallons from World Energy.

READ MORE NEWS: Boeing and Ontic agree 10-year distribution agreement