In a demonstration of how a "circular economy" could work for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW), SAF producer Neste, and fuel distributor Avfuel collaborated to see the Texas airport receive its first load of SAF this week.
Neste subsidiary Mahoney Environmental has been collecting waste cooking oil from the airport’s concessionaires for the past two years as part of Neste’s global feedstock pool to produce SAF. To complete the circle, Avfuel delivered an 8,000-gallon load of blended SAF to airport-operated FBO DFW Corporate Aviation. The volume represents a 19-tonne lifecycle carbon emissions savings over conventional jet fuel, and in its neat form SAF can provide up to an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over its lifecycle.
DFW, Avfuel, and Neste will continue to explore opportunities to bring more SAF to the airport, the second busiest in the world, including use by airlines and cargo operators.
“The introduction of SAF to DFW Airport marks a major milestone in our effort to reduce our sector’s overall carbon footprint,” said Robert Horton, the airport’s v-p of environmental affairs. “We recognize our future success depends on our ability to protect our natural resources, and we are committed to continuing to serve as an industry leader in sustainable practices."