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Japanese Airlines Fly with Domestically Produced Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

Japanese

June 18, 2021

Energy and Environment Policy

In view of measures against climate change in the aviation sector, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that helps reduce CO2 emissions is expected to be used more and more widely.

As part of an R&D project on technology for producing SAF conducted by a National Research and Development Agency called the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), SAF produced in Japan in the project was mixed with traditional jet fuel, then the mixture was used to fuel scheduled ANA and JAL flights on June 17, 2021.

Stakeholders and relevant ministries and agencies will continue to work together to address issues such as establishing SAF production technology and subsequently promoting widespread use of the new fuel.

1. Background

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and NEDO are working to develop SAF technology through the "Development of Production Technologies for Biojet Fuels" project. Mitsubishi Power, Ltd., JERA Co., Inc., Toyo Engineering Corporation, and IHI Corporation have produced SAF as a result of the technological developments achieved in the project FY2020.

The SAF was mixed with traditional jet fuel, then All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (ANA) and Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (JAL) flew scheduled flights on June 17, 2021 using the mixture.
This project has been planned in cooperation with relevant businesses by METI's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Civil Aviation Bureau in order to facilitate unified efforts by SAF producers and users, with a view toward establishing and promoting supply chains in readiness for introducing SAF in the future.

2. Outline of the flights

(1) Date and time:

June 17, 2021 (Thu.)

(2) Location:

Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport, Ota City, Tokyo Metropolis)

(3) SAF used(*1)

 

Airline Manufacturer Raw material Fuel quantity(*2)
JAL
(Flights from Haneda to Sapporo use about 8.7 kL of fuel.)		 IHI Algae SAF: 938 L (11%)
Of which, neat SAF: 1 L (0.01%)
Mitsubishi Power, JERA,
Toyo Engineering		 Wood biomass SAF: 2,195 L (25%)
Of which, neat SAF: 283 L (3%)
ANA
(Flights from Haneda to Itami use about 5.0 kL of fuel.)		 IHI Algae SAF: 988 L (20%)
Of which, neat SAF: 38 L (0.8%)
Notes:
*1: SAF refers to a mixture of neat SAF and a fossil jet fuel for mixing.
Neat SAF is a jet fuel made from biomass raw materials, etc. It needs to be mixed with a certain percentage of a fossil jet fuel to fuel an aircraft. There are limits on how much neat SAF can be mixed with fossil jet fuels that vary depending on what it is made from and how it is made. Neat SAF made from algae (Annex 7) can be mixed with up to 10%, and wood biomass (Annex 1) with up to 50%.
All the produced SAF has been confirmed to comply with the international standards ASTM D7566 and D1655 for SAF.
*2: The percentages in parentheses indicate the percentage of SAF and neat SAF in the total fuel used.

References: URLs to press releases by each company

Division in Charge

Fuel Policy Planning Office, Natural Resources and Fuel Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy

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