36 US SAF projects awarded $291m grants under IRA

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by Fayaz Hussain
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced $291m grants under the Inflation Reduction Act for as many as 36 sustainable aviation fuel projects to help achieve the goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from aviation by 2050.

Nearly 22 projects have been awarded a total of $244.5m that produce, transport, blend or store sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and for scoping studies related to SAF infrastructure needs. In addition, the FAA also announced another $46.5m for 14 projects that develop, demonstrate or apply low-emission aviation technologies to reduce carbon pollution, improve aircraft fuel efficiency, and increase SAF use.

The FAA funding is part of its Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST).

The breakdown of project types is as follows: Seven SAF tier 1 projects conducting SAF supply chain studies to identify infrastructure needs; 15 SAF tier 2 projects building infrastructure for SAF production, transportation, blending, and storage; 13 low-emission technology category 1 projects developing low-emission aviation technologies; and one low-emission technology category 2 project developing test capabilities to advance low-emission aviation technologies.

FAST is part of the Inflation Reduction Act with the mandate to make investments to accelerate production and use of SAF and the development of low-emission aviation technologies in support of the US aviation climate goal to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Some of the grant award winners include: 

  • $16.8m to Gevo to convert an existing fuel facility in Luverne, Minnesota, to a fully integrated alcohol-to-jet production facility for SAF production.
  • $240,000 to the City of Atlanta to conduct a study of regional supply chains, infrastructure and distribution needs to enable SAF deployment at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia.
  • $8m to JetZero to develop key enabling technologies for a highly fuel efficient blended-wing-body airplane. 
  • $2.7m to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to build a test facility to mature high-power electrified airplane technologies.

Earlier this week, two Colorado state counties, Mesa and Pitkin, announced their support for feasibility studies to explore the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The feasibility study will assess the availability of feedstock, biosolids, beetle kill, and agricultural waste, along with market conditions, production capacity, location suitability, infrastructure, environmental and economic impacts, and regulatory factors.

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