Airbus partners with DG Fuels to foster US SAF production

Airbus has partnered with DG Fuels to support their first Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production plant in Louisiana, US. The partnership seeks to speed the launch of the equity process and reach a Final Investment Decision (FID), by early 2024.

DG Fuels’ technology uses cellulosic waste products, such as wood waste or agricultural waste, and renewable energy sources to produce SAF. The project aims to produce 120m US gallons (454m litres) of SAF/year on average, which is estimated to save around 1.5m tonnes of CO2 emissions annually from 2026.

“Sustainable aviation fuels play a crucial role in enabling aviation’s decarbonisation roadmap. We are committed to supporting all efforts that contribute to making them available at scale around the globe,” said Guillaume Faury, CEO, Airbus. “The partnership with DG Fuels supports the emergence of a new technological pathway allowing for the production of SAFs from a broader range of waste and residue sources, first in the US with a potential for large-scale production worldwide.”

“The DGF team is excited to have finalised this SAF partnership with Airbus,” said Michael Darcy, chairman and CEO, DG Fuels. “We look forward to working together to accelerate the initial SAF facility in Louisiana and the subsequent scale up at various locations in the United States and beyond.”

As part of the partnership, a portion of the SAF production will be available to Airbus customers.

The project is in line with the US government sponsored SAF Grand Challenge, which aims to reduce cost, improve sustainability and expand domestic SAF production. The production goal is domestic production of 3bn US gallons/year by 2030 or 35bn US gallons/year by 2050.