Global Bioenergies’ SAF trial proves successful

Global Bioenergies’ sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has been tested in collaboration with Safran on the injection phase and with ONERA on the combustion phase.
The company supplied a batch of SAF to Safran, the world’s second-largest aircraft equipment manufacturer, to evaluate the specific properties of Global Bioenergies’ SAF, used in its neat form, during the fuel injection phase prior to combustion in the engine.
This phase is crucial to ensure, among other things, high efficiency and therefore lower fuel consumption. A test campaign was carried out near Rouen at CERTAM (regional innovation center of technological exchange in aerothermal and engines).
Frédéric Ollivier, CTO at Global Bioenergies, said: “The various simulations carried out by the CERTAM demonstrator have enabled us to test the behavior of our fuel under various conditions representative of an aircraft engine.
“Injecting Global Bioenergies’ SAF, without blending it with kerosene, produces a spray of fine, homogeneous droplets, very similar to the spray from Jet A-1, the standard fossil kerosene. These tests are feeding into the data that enable a better match between engine and fuel.”
ONERA, the French aerospace research centre has also carried out tests on a laboratory burner to quantify the particles emitted during combustion of Global Bioenergies’ SAF.
Louise Ganeau, research engineer at ONERA, explained: “Soot emitted during fuel combustion has an impact on air quality in airport areas. Incorporating SAFs such as Global Bioenergies’ into the fossil fuel landscape would help reduce soot emissions locally, and cut particulate pollution. Furthermore, from an environmental standpoint, SAF have a role to play in reducing net CO₂ emissions thanks to the way they are manufactured.”