Singapore advances use of sustainable aviation fuel to tackle decarbonization

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, in partnership with Singapore Airlines, and Singapore-headquartered global investment company Temasek, will pilot the use of sustainable aviation fuel in Singapore to expedite the sector's decarbonization efforts, CAAS said on its website Nov. 13.

A request for proposal was called on Nov. 10 to invite select SAF producers and fuel suppliers to develop and execute plans to deliver blended SAF to Singapore's Changi Airport, according to CAAS.

The pilot will commence 2022 and is expected to run for a year, it said, adding that the pilot was a follow-up to an earlier study conducted by the Singapore Government and industry players on the operational and commercial viability of SAF at Changi Airport.

"The pilot which will incorporate the blending of neat SAF in local facilities, certification of blended SAF, and delivery to Changi Airport, is a significant step to operationally validate SAF integration options in Singapore," Han Kok Juan, director-general of CAAS said.

"It will provide insights on end-to-end cost components, potential pricing structures for cost recovery and support future policy considerations for SAF deployment," he said.

The launch of the SAF pilot at the Singapore Changi Airport follows the unveiling of the SAF Policy Toolkit on the sidelines of the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on the same day, CAAS said.

The SAF Policy Toolkit is developed by the World Economic Forum Clean Skies for Tomorrow SAF Ambassadors Group, which includes Singapore as a member, it said.

Achieving net zero

Meanwhile, the pilot program is also in line with the SIA Group's sustainability initiatives, as well as Temasek's commitment to a net zero carbon emissions portfolio by 2050.

Temasek will work closely with CAAS and Singapore Airlines to collate real world data on the practical benefits of SAF, Frederick Teo, Temasek's managing director, sustainable solutions, said.

"This will support the SIA Group's commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, reinforcing our long-standing strategy of working towards decarbonization and environmental sustainability across our operations," Lee Wen Fen, senior vice president corporate planning, SIA said in the same statement.

The Singapore flag carrier joined the SAF Users Group, an international action group to promote sustainability, in 2011. It also undertook the world's first green package flights from Singapore to San Francisco in 2017, powered by SAF blend.

SIA also supports the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, or CORSIA, as the only global market-based measure to achieve carbon-neutral growth beyond 2020.

In June, the SIA Group said it had launched a voluntary carbon offset program to enable customers across its passenger and cargo airlines to offset their own carbon emissions via dedicated microsites.