(U.S. Department of Energy) The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge is the result of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other federal government agencies working together to develop a comprehensive strategy for scaling up new technologies to produce SAF on a commercial scale.
An interagency team led by DOE, DOT, and USDA worked with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, other government agencies, and stakeholders from national labs, universities, nongovernmental organizations, and the aviation, agricultural, and energy industries to develop the SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap Report.
The roadmap lays out six action areas spanning all activities with the potential to impact the SAF Grand Challenge objectives of (1) expanding SAF supply and end use, (2) reducing the cost of SAF, and (3) enhancing the sustainability of SAF:
- Feedstock Innovation
- Conversion Technology Innovation
- Building Supply Chains
- Policy and Valuation Analysis
- Enabling End Use
- Communicating Progress and Building Support.
Download the SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap: Flight Plan for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Report. READ MORE
Table of Contents
Disclaimer ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ii
Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… iii
List of Acronyms …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… vi
Executive Summary ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. vii
SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap Overview …………………………………………………………… viii
SAF Grand Challenge Actions and Impact ……………………………………………………………… ix
Table of Contents …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. xiii
List of Figures ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. xv
List of Tables ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. xv
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1
Urgency of Action ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
Roadmap Overview ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
Roadmap Approach ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
Roadmap Action Areas …………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Feedstock Innovation …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12
FI.1. Understand Resource Markets and Availability ………………………………………………. 14
FI.2. Maximize Sustainable Lipid (FOG) Supply for 2030 ………………………………………. 16
FI.3. Increase Production of Purpose-Grown Biomass Resources and Collection of Wastes and Residues ……………………………………………………………………………………. 18
FI.4. Improve Feedstock Supply Logistics …………………………………………………………….. 20
FI.5. Increase Reliability of Feedstock Handling Systems ……………………………………….. 23
FI.6. Improve Sustainability of Biomass and Waste Supply Systems ………………………… 25
Conversion Technology Innovation …………………………………………………………………………………. 28
CT.1. Decarbonize, Diversify, and Scale Current Fermentation-Based Fuel Industry ….. 29
CT.2. Develop Options To Increase Production and Reduce Carbon Intensity of Existing ASTM-Qualified Pathways …………………………………………………………………………… 31
CT.3. Develop Biointermediates and Pathways for Compatibility With Existing Capital Assets …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 34
CT.4. Reduce Risk During Scale-Up and Operations ………………………………………………. 36
CT.5. Develop Innovative Unit Operations and Pathways ……………………………………….. 37
Building Supply Chains …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 39
SC.1. Build and Support Regional Stakeholder Coalitions Through Outreach, Extension, and Education ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 40
SC.2. Model SAF Supply Chains …………………………………………………………………………. 43
SC.3. Demonstration of SAF Supply Chains ………………………………………………………….. 44
SC.4. Invest in SAF Production Infrastructure To Support Industry Deployment ……….. 47
Policy and Valuation Analysis ………………………………………………………………………………………… 49
PA.1. Develop Improved Environmental Models and Data for SAF …………………………. 49
PA.2. Conduct Techno-Economic and Production Potential Analysis ……………………….. 52
PA.3. Inform SAF Policy Development ………………………………………………………………… 54
Enabling End Use …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 57
EU.1. Support SAF Evaluation, Testing, Qualification, and Specification …………………. 58
EU.2. Enable Use of Drop-In Unblended SAF and SAF Blends up to 100% ……………… 59
EU.3. Investigate Synthetic Aviation Turbine Fuels Offering Performance or Producibility Advantages ……………………………………………………………………………… 61
EU.4. Integrate SAF Into Fuel Distribution Infrastructure ……………………………………….. 62
Communicating Progress and Building Support………………………………………………………………… 64
CP.1. Stakeholder Outreach and Engagement on Feedstock Sustainability ………………… 65
CP.2. Conduct Benefits Assessment/Impact Analysis of SAF Grand Challenge …………. 66
CP.3. Measure Progress of the SAF Grand Challenge …………………………………………….. 67
CP.4. Communicate Public Benefits of the SAF Grand Challenge ……………………………. 68
References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 71
Appendix A: Detailed Roadmap Activities (Preliminary) …………………………………………………… 75
Appendix A.1: Feedstock Innovation Detailed Activities ………………………………………… 75
Appendix A.2: Conversion Technology Innovation Activities …………………………………. 84
Appendix A.3: Building Supply Chains Detailed Activities …………………………………….. 93
Appendix A.4: Policy and Valuation Analysis Detailed Activities ……………………………. 99
Appendix A.5: Enabling End Use Detailed Activities ……………………………………………. 104
Appendix A.6: Communicating Progress and Building Support Detailed Activities ….. 109