Airbus Canada, Pratt & Whitney Canada, and the Quebec-based SAF+ Consortium have agreed to collaborate on SAF research and testing, including flight testing blends of up to 100 percent SAF on an Airbus A220. The project also will concentrate on feasibility studies for establishing local production facilities for power-to-liquid e-SAF in Quebec.
Known as CADAQ-100, the undertaking will contribute to the industry-wide effort to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions for aviation by 2050, as outlined by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) in their decarbonization roadmaps.
“Airbus, alongside many of its customers, is fully committed to expanding the use of SAF, an essential pillar to support the aviation industry's decarbonization journey,” said Benoît Schultz, president and CEO of Airbus Canada. “Building this new Canadian ecosystem alongside the SAF+ Consortium is a key milestone and an example of how Airbus is actively shaping decarbonization discussions in Québec and Canada while demonstrating our commitment to making SAF an economically viable solution available to our customers and partners globally. While the A220 already offers the smallest carbon footprint for any single-aisle aircraft flying today, achieving readiness to operate with 100 percent SAF will help ensure the A220’s sustainability and competitiveness well into the future.”
The parties have agreed to commit a combined investment of more than C$17 million while the government of Quebec contributes up to 50 percent of the total amount invested in the project through 2027, an Airbus spokesperson told AIN.
The collaboration will assess the feasibility of developing a commercial e-SAF plant in Quebec—targeting an annual output of up to 100 million liters by 2028. The consortium would produce e-SAF using power-to-liquid technology, which employs renewable energy to synthesize captured CO2 emissions with green hydrogen, producing a clean aviation fuel with a potential reduction in lifecycle CO2 emissions by up to 90 percent compared with conventional kerosene.
“SAF represents a key drop-in solution for reducing the environmental impact of thousands of aircraft flying today and in the coming decades, and thereby enables the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050,” said Pratt & Whitney Canada v-p of engineering Edward Hoskin. “Collaboration between public and private sectors is critical to achieving our goals, so we welcome this opportunity and the continued support of the government of Quebec to help expand SAF research and production capabilities in the region.”