Gulfstream Boosts SAF on the Sidelines of BizAV Sustainability Summit

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation announced the extension of its contract with World Fuel Services to continue providing the business-jet manufacturer with a steady supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) produced by World Energy.

Gulfstream President Mark Burns announced the deal in September during the Virtual 2020 Business Aviation Sustainability Summit to discuss pathways to accelerate the market for SAF. Business Aviation leaders convened for a first-of-its-kind Virtual 2020 Business Aviation Sustainability Summit in September to discuss further ways to accelerate the sustainable aviation fuels market, the cleaner-burning alternative fuel that often reduces net lifecycle carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in excess of 50 per cent, versus conventional jet fuel (on a gallon-per-gallon basis). Experts along every point on the value chain – manufacturers, producers, providers/FBOs, operators, and government leaders discussed and determined how to increase the production, availability and use of SAFs.

This contract extends Gulfstream’s original multiyear purchase agreement, which was the first of its kind in business aviation when it was signed in 2015. Since March 2016, Gulfstream has used SAF for its Savannah-based fleet, which comprises corporate, demonstration, completion, customer support and flight test aircraft. The company has made more than 650 flights with an SAF-JET A fuel blend, flying more than 1.3 million nautical miles and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 1,700 metric tonnes.

“This renewal marks another step in our ongoing commitment to promoting positive change in our industry. Reducing our impact on the environment by using SAF is a move we all should consider making. Creating a sustainable future for aviation is a responsibility we share, and we appreciate the leadership, innovation and collaboration of World Energy in helping Gulfstream - and the industry at large - fulfill that responsibility,” said Mark Burns, President, Gulfstream.

Gulfstream claims that its sustainability strategy helps support industry goals established by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC). The goals include:

• 50 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 relative to 2005 levels;
• Two per cent improvement in fuelefficiency per year from 2010 to 2020;
• Carbon-neutral growth from 2020 onward.

The renewable fuel used by Gulfstream is produced by World Energy at its refinery in Paramount, California, from a feedstock of agricultural waste, fats and oils. Fuel and aviation services provider World Fuel Services manages the logistics, including distribution of SAF to Gulfstream on both U.S. coasts. In addition to using the 30/70 blend of low-carbon, drop-in SAF at its Savannah headquarters, Gulfstream makes it available for customers at its Van Nuys and Long Beach, California, service centers. SAF is the only fuel on-site at Gulfstream Long Beach, which also uses it for completions and delivery flights.

“The innovative partnership between Gulfstream and World Energy paved the way for a larger sustainability movement,” Burns said. “For almost a decade, we have leveraged our collaboration with World Energy to increase awareness and availability of SAF around the world. We look forward to continuing that work.”

In 2019, the company launched a service that allows operators to pay a usage-based annual fee towards activities that generate an equal reduction in carbon emissions, helping them to offset the carbon footprint of their flights. The offsets fund certified and verified projects covering wind energy, forest management, farm power and the recovery and utilisation of landfill gas.

Last year around the same time Gulfstream had also announced that the Gulfstream G650ER, Gulfstream G600, Gulfstream G500, Gulfstream G550 and Gulfstream G280 made the company’s first carbon-neutral flights, traveling from Savannah to the Las Vegas area for the 2019 National Business Aviation Association Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE). The five flights were made using a combination of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and carbon offsets.

“THIS RENEWAL MARKS ANOTHER STEP IN OUR ONGOING COMMITMENT TO PROMOTING POSITIVE CHANGE IN OUR INDUSTRY. REDUCING OUR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT BY USING SA F IS A MOVE WE ALL SHOULD CONSIDER MAKING,” SAID MARK BURNS, PRESIDENT, GULFSTREAM.

Coinciding with the Summit, three more organisations from the sector, other than Gulfstream announced purchase agreements with SAF suppliers last month. These companies were NetJets, VistaJet and Signature Flight Support. VistaJet announced to secure availability for its customers globally of SAF sourced and delivered by SkyNRG. The fuel for VistaJet, like Gulfstream, will be produced by World Energy. While Signature and NetJets will receive their supply of SAF from Nestet San Francisco and London Luton airports. The Finnish renewable fuel producer has also just signed a SAF supply agreement with Shell Aviation.

The forum was hosted by the Business Aviation Coalition for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF Coalition), which just released Fueling the Future, an educational and informational guide about SAF development, industry adoption and expansion of supply and use. The guide has given out initiatives to educate industry leaders, policymakers and others on the benefits and viability of SAF in conjunction with the World Economic Forum and previous events held at airports in Van Nuys, Farnborough, United Kingdom (UK), Geneva and Las Vegas. The guide also details on how industry leaders can incorporate SAF into their operations and accelerate the adoption of low-carbon fuels, while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Industry innovators further plan to produce SAF blending components with deeper reductions, and in some cases more than 100 per cent, making the fuels carbon negative. SAF is a proven and trusted replacement for traditional jet fuel that will help lower the industry’s carbon footprint. SAF has been used continuously at select airports since 2016, and its production is expected to scale significantly during the next five years.

The guide suggests that the single-largest potential reduction in aviation’s GHG emissions - and the key to reaching our goals - will come about through the broad adoption of sustainable aviation fuel in place of the current conventional jet fuel. The guide further builds upon a host of initiatives on the benefits and viability of SAF.

“This new edition of the guide reinforces our global commitment to sustainable aviation fuels, and provides a fresh resource to further educate the business aviation industry of this drop-in alternative jet fuel. SAF represents a critical measure to help the global industry meet its longterm goal to address climate change by halving carbon emissions by 2050 relative to 2005 levels,” said IBAC Director General Kurt Edwards.

The guide is developed by the SAF Coalition which includes the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, the European Business Aviation Association, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, the International Business Aviation Council, the National Air Transportation Association and the National Business Aviation Association.

“We are thrilled to present this second edition of the SAF Guide. The coalition’s goal has always been to increase the production and use of SAF, and education through this guide is key to that mission. Many thanks to all those who put in a tremendous effort to make relevant updates and information available to the public,” said NATA President and CEO Timothy Obitts.