Virgin to trial sustainable fuel in Proserpine

“SAF represents the critical long-term opportunity in commercial aviation’s pursuit of its 2050 net zero emissions ambition,” said Virgin Australia’s chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer, Christian Bennett.

“Partnership, focused policy development and collaborations such as this with Viva Energy will be essential if we are to adopt successfully SAF’s broader use in Australia over the years and decades ahead.

“Ensuring SAF is affordable and accessible will be key to achieving lowest cost carbon abatement at the same time as maintaining the essential role of aviation in connecting Australian communities.”

According to Viva Energy’s general manager for aviation, Nick Adams, the partnership will allow Viva to “expand its ability to supply SAF-blended jet fuel across Australia utilising its infrastructure assets while exploring regional SAF delivery, storage and handling, and direct into-wing dispensing”.

“It is clear that SAF is going to play a bigger role for commercial airlines in this country as they move towards a more sustainable future,” he said.

“Through this collaboration – and drawing on the strengths of Viva Energy’s national distribution network and experience supplying high-quality fuels and aviation operations – we will be working with Virgin Australia to establish the supply chains that will be critical to the future of the aviation industry.

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“Viva Energy is also delighted to be helping a key partner like Virgin Australia in its sustainability journey.”

Other airlines including Qantas and Air New Zealand are making moves towards greater use of SAF, while the federal government last month invested $10.4 million into two projects in Queensland through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

This included $2.4 million for Viva to demonstrate SAF use and storage at Brisbane Airport, in which the company will recondition a fuel tank at the Pinkenba Terminal for a commercial supply of blended SAF, with the resulting findings to be shared with other Australian airports to ready their infrastructure for domestic SAF.

The 2023 Boeing/CSIRO SAF Roadmap identified Australia as in a “prime position” to develop a domestic SAF industry.

According to Max Temminghoff, the roadmap’s author and senior manager at the CSIRO, Australia is in a good position to develop a domestic SAF industry but needs to address key challenges such as feedstock availability, supply chain issues, and international standards and regulations.

Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport owner Wagner announced last year it was partnering with Boeing to build a SAF plant in Brisbane, with construction to begin in 2026.