Masdar, Airbus to promote SAF produced from green hydrogen

Energy giant Masdar has signed an agreement with aeronautics firm Airbus to support the development and growth of the global sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market. The areas of collaboration include SAF, green hydrogen, direct air capture technologies, as well as supporting the development and implementation of 'book and claim' solutions. 

The use of SAF based on green hydrogen and direct air capture is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 95 percent when compared to conventional jet fuel, with the global sustainable aviation fuel market expected to grow to over US$14bn by 2032, according to Precedence Research.

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Direct air capture technologies enable the capturing of atmospheric CO2 which could, in combination with green hydrogen, be used to produce synthetic SAF for the commercial aviation industry. 

Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer, Masdar, commented,  "This MoU with Airbus further amplifies Masdar's commitment to accelerating the reduction of global carbon emissions and pioneering worldwide efforts towards decarbonization. We look forward to working closely with Airbus to support the development of the global sustainable aviation fuel market and to exploring the adoption of creative low carbon solutions in support of net zero."

"Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is one of the best solutions for reducing the aviation sector's carbon footprint and this agreement will support in advancing its much-needed development and growth", said Mikail Houari, President, Airbus Africa and Middle East. 

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"At Airbus, we continue to lead the industry towards a more sustainable future. We are committed to contributing to driving innovation to support the ambition set by IATA, ATAG and ICAO to reach "net zero carbon emissions by 2050", he added. 

SAF is said to be an immediately available solution for significantly reducing the CO2 emissions of global air transportation. It can be used as a drop-in fuel without modifying existing storage and refueling infrastructure, aircraft, or engines. 

At the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week held early this year, Masdar announced that its initiative focusing on green hydrogen to produce SAF is actively working with licensors to certify a new production pathway for SAF from methanol.