Overlooked? SAF’s supply chain

Much of the industry conversation on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is focused on production. Making more molecules available is important, but we also need to unlock the ability to deliver them to the aircraft.
Perhaps the supply chain logistics are not as attention grabbing as production itself, but the industry has to focus on all aspects of the supply chain if we are serious about scaling SAF.
The effort required across the end-to-end supply chain – to get SAF molecules from production facility and into aircraft – should not be overlooked.
Serious about SAF
Although SAF’s strength as a decarbonisation solution is that it is a drop-in fuel that works with today's airport and aircraft setups, there is a need to develop the infrastructure to enable its blending and transport, from production to end-use.
The SAF supply chain is complex as Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) is the predominant pathway for SAF production now.
Alongside investments in SAF production, Shell is taking action by buying, moving and blending SAF.
As SAF is currently permitted to be blended up to 50% with conventional jet fuel for...