Funding of a new research study on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production has been welcomed by Ibec group, Aircraft Leasing Ireland.
The four-year research study is a collaboration between Trinity College Dublin and the University of Limerick. It will examine potential avenues for manufacturing SAF in Ireland.
It is internationally recognised that SAF will play a crucial role in achieving the aviation industry's goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
To meet this objective, the European Commission has introduced legislation obliging fuel suppliers to blend increasing levels of SAF in kerosene for supply at EU airports, commencing with 2% in 2025.
However, the current SAF supply falls significantly short of the 2025 target, making the scale-up of SAF production critical.
The primary focus of the study will be to identify how Ireland can establish a sustainable and viable supply chain for SAF raw materials, while also proposing scenarios in which a substantial quantity of SAF can be produced efficiently on the island.
The study will commence in September 2024 and will run for four years. It will be led by Associate Professor Stephen Dooley and Assistant Professor Mohammad Reza Ghanni of Trinity College Dublin, along with Professors Luuk Van der Wielen and Vivek Ranade of the University of Limerick.
Karl Grifin, Vice-Chair of ALI said the long-term investment is an example of its members' commitment to supporting the wider aviation industry to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050."
Luuk Van der Wielen, Bernal Professor Biosystems Design & Engineering, University of Limerick, said: "Sustainable air connectivity is critical for the island of Ireland. We at the University of Limerick see the strong collaboration with our colleagues at Trinity College Dublin and Aircraft Leasing Ireland as an excellent opportunity to support sustainable economic development by harvesting Ireland’s off- and on-shore renewable energy, and the circular bioeconomy potentials."
He said it is fully in line with the recent recommendations of the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce, the Irish Climate Action Plan and related strategies.
