Federal agencies announce new SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap Implementation Framework
An interagency team led by the U.S. DOE, USDA and U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration released Nov. 20 the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge Roadmap Implementation Framework.
The implementation framework highlights current federal-agency capabilities and programs aligned with the actions called out in the SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap and identifies existing gaps where additional effort, public-private partnerships and support will be needed to meet the goals set forth in the SAF Grand Challenge.
“Advancing sustainable fuel technologies is essential to building a thriving bioeconomy that benefits all Americans while also cutting harmful emissions and delivering healthier communities,” said Jeff Marootian, principal deputy assistant secretary for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “This framework highlights the incredible opportunity to unlock exciting new economic opportunities for agricultural and rural communities across the nation and build upon the groundwork laid by the Biden-Harris administration to support a growing sustainable aviation fuel industry.”
Chavonda Jacobs-Young, undersecretary for research, education and economics and the USDA’s chief scientist, added, “Sustainable aviation fuel use expands economic opportunities for American farmers, business owners and rural communities. This effort highlights the power of scientific innovation to drive us toward our national goals and the potent momentum of government organizations working together to accelerate progress towards a sustainable future for aviation fuels.”
Since the establishment of the SAF Grand Challenge in 2021, which set an ambitious goal to produce 3 billion gallons of SAF by 2030, and 35 billion gallons of SAF by 2050 to meet 100 percent of domestic jet-fuel demand, annual SAF production has dramatically increased—highlighting the growing momentum for this important initiative to reduce carbon emissions from the aviation sector.
By mid-2024, 13 million gallons of SAF were domestically produced.
Announced domestic projects represent potential for over 3 billion gallons of annual SAF production capacity—representing $44 billion of announced investment—by 2030.
The Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative estimates that about 2 billion gallons of SAF are currently expected to come online by 2028.
Additional volume can be expected if barriers are addressed as described in the implementation framework such as market demand, policy framework and airline offtake agreements.
The implementation framework is a directional guide for the SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap and demonstrates coordination and planning for the multiple agencies involved with different missions and approaches.
Organized by six roadmap-action areas, the implementation framework covers feedstock innovation, conversion-technology innovation, building supply chains, policy and valuation analysis, enabling end use, and communicating progress and building support.
The SAF Grand Challenge interagency team is committed to supporting achievement of the SAF Grand Challenge goals as demonstrated through:
Research and development of sustainable feedstock and fuel-production technologies, providing support for technology scale-up and advancing environmental analysis of SAF.
Support of U.S. farmers with climate-smart agriculture practices and research.
Loan guarantees to commercial-scale SAF projects that utilize innovative technology to convert feedstock to SAF and avoid, reduce or sequester greenhouse-gas emissions.
Provision of capabilities and funding to support SAF qualification, U.S. and international standard-setting, and development of infrastructure and transportation systems.
The U.S. transportation sector has become the largest source of CO2 emissions in the country with aviation generating approximately 11 percent of U.S. transportation-based CO2 emissions that contribute to climate change.
Developing innovative technologies to produce SAF will enable the United States to meet climate goals and position it as a global leader in the emerging SAF market.
According to the DOE, the Biden administration continues to collaborate with a broad range of SAF stakeholders that includes airlines, aircraft and engine manufacturers, energy producers, researchers, and international participants to build relationships, share and collect data, identify resources, and direct research, development and deployment of SAF.
The SAF Grand Challenge, launched in 2021, is a government-wide strategy led by DOE, USDA and DOT.
It builds on sector-wide industry commitments to foster innovation and drive change across the entire U.S. aviation emissions and ecosystem.
In September 2022, federal agencies published the SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap, outlining a whole-of-government approach with coordinated policies and specific activities that should be undertaken by the government to support achievement of the SAF Grand Challenge goals.
