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9. Bio-based aviation fuel

This book is about advanced fuels based on agricultural biomass resources and their production.

 9. Bio-based aviation fuel

There are many different methods of biofuel production. Some are already mature and in use, others are still at an experimental stage or in the trial phase. In the future, synthetic fuels based on abiotic renewable energy sources (e.g. renewable electricity) will become increasingly important.

Flugzeug
Airplane by Anne Rödl and Chiara Coetzee (CC 0)

What you should know

  • A number of processes for the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) have already been approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), including HEFA, Alcohol-to-Jet and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis
  • SAFs are not used in their pure form, but are blended with up to 50% fossil kerosene
  • The production of kerosene using genetically modified yeasts (SIP) is also being tested