Emirates joins consortium for renewable and advanced aviation fuels

On sideline of the 3rd ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels held in Dubai, eight founding entities announced the launch of the "Air-CRAFT" initiative - a UAE-based research consortium focused on developing, producing, and scaling sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technologies.

Members of the consortium are Emirate, ADNOC, Boeing, ENOC Group, Etihad, Honeywell, Khalifa University, Masdar. Air-CRAFT is supported by the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.

Air-CRAFT, or the UAE Centre for Renewable and Advanced Fuel Technologies for Aviation, is a first-of-its-kind initiative that will bring together entities across the value chain – industrial policymakers, aviation regulators, fuel producers, academia and researchers, aircraft and powerplant manufacturers, and airline operators. While based in the UAE, the consortium will also engage with, and welcome the participation of relevant international entities as it progresses. 

"The UAE has committed to reaching net zero by 2050, and this goal can only be achieved by slashing the emissions across the board. Air-CRAFT will go a long way in supporting the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, helping to make it resilient and sustainable well into the future," said Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.

Potential research topics at Air-CRAFT include environmental impact assessments, feedstock and process optimisation, and techno-economic assessments. Air-CRAFT will also establish relevant links with other academic and research institutions in the UAE and internationally.

Meanwhile, the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has published the National SAF Roadmap which has five principles to guide the industry in accelerating the decarbonisation of the sector and transform it into a regional hub for alternative aviation fuels. The five principles are: Establishing the Ambition: 700 million liters of SAF by 2030; accelerating SAF Technology Deployment and Innovation; developing the National Regulatory Environment for SAF; building Local Capacity to Boost In-Country Value; leading International Collaboration

The Center for Renewable and Advanced Fuel Technologies for Aviation (Air-CRAFT) will pursue the industrialisation of SAF production and create an ecosystem to address the five principles of the National SAF Roadmap.