The strategy, which sets out how the UK will deliver on its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, aims to reduce Britain’s reliance on imported fossil fuels and protect consumers from global price spikes by boosting clean energy.
Aligning with the government’s strategy, the University of Sheffield’s Energy Institute recently launched its Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre (SAF-IC) - a new centre for research, innovation and commercial testing of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
The government announced it will kick-start the commercialisation of SAF, enabling the delivery of 10 per cent SAF by 2030 and supporting UK industry with £180 million in funding to support the development of UK SAF plants.
The SAF-IC centre, which will provide flagship national and international state-of-the-art facilities to test and deploy new SAF, and will heavily invest in supporting SMEs in the local Sheffield region, is anticipated to be fully operational by July 2022.
SAF are vital to reducing the UK’s carbon emissions. The UK aviation industry is responsible for about 7 per cent of total UK carbon emissions, and this number is growing fast. Aviation’s reliance on fossil fuels makes it a challenging sector to decarbonise.
And after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shared its findings on the latest physical understanding of the climate system and climate change, stating in no uncertain terms that humans have had a negative effect on the climate, it’s vital we invest heavily in research and innovation that will help us reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Although in the future new technologies will propel planes, for now the best option is to exchange fossil fuels for fuels made from sustainable materials such as agricultural waste and waste oils. Making SAF a viable commercial option for the aviation sector could reduce UK emissions in 2050 by 32 per cent.
Director of the University of Sheffield’s Energy Institute and Managing Director for the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian said: “We welcome yesterday’s announcement and the governments’ investment to kick-start the commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuels, carbon capture and hydrogen technologies and industry.
“The expertise and capabilities of the Energy Institute and its facilities are ideally placed to support the government’s strategy, informing policy and driving towards technological and societal solutions.
“We are delighted to announce the SAF-IC, our world-leading innovation facility, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund,will be unique at regional, national and international levels, and will place the University and the Sheffield City Region at the centre of the sustainable aviation fuels agenda.
“The work we will be undertaking to generate hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels from biomass gasification with carbon capture is at the cutting edge of zero carbon emission technology, helping the region and the UK achieve its ambitions to cut industrial greenhouse gas emissions.”
