The FAA is granting over $1.4m to five of the US’s top research institutes to research and build sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supply chains in different regions of the US.
Since 2014, the FAA has invested more than $13m in the effort being conducted by ASCENT, the FAA Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment.
“Sustainable aviation fuels are a critical part of meeting our climate goals for aviation, and we want to help that industry grow and create jobs right here in the US,” said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “These funds will help build regional supply chains, so that communities across our country – many of them rural – feel the economic benefits of producing sustainable aviation fuel.”
The research concentrates on identifying regional feedstock that can become SAF using existing infrastructure, creating a dependable supply within reach of airport demand.
The investment builds on the Biden-Harris administration’s announcement this September of a government-wide initiative designed to catalyse the production of at least 3bn gallons per year by 2030.
The research teams on this project include: Washington State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Tennessee, University of Hawaii and Purdue University.
Today’s funding is part of $14.4m in grants to teams at 13 universities across the country to undertake research critical to building a sustainable aviation system.
