The SASA project team successfully hosted the third SAF forum in Adelaide

The South Australian Sustainable Aviation (SASA) project team successfully hosted the third SAF forum in Adelaide on 27th November, with funding support from the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (NFACR)

Dr Kimberly Camrass, Boeing’s Sustainability Lead for Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific, traveled from Brisbane to share Boeing’s latest progress in advancing SAF research and investments in Toowoomba. She emphasised the critical need for financial and policy support to scale up SAF initiatives.

Professor Shane Zhang provided an overview of China’s SAF progress, policies, and comparisons with Australia.

Dr Kun Wang outlined the progress of CORSIA, stating that international flight competition may become a contest to see which nations can offer the most generous subsidies to support their airlines on global routes.

Frosti Lau, Regional General Manager (Southwest Pacific) for Cathay pacific, agreed that policy signals are vital for suppliers. He underscored Cathay Pacific’s long-term SAF uptake agreements, which aim to send strong market signals to suppliers, and highlighted their corporate program encouraging local and international companies to achieve decarbonisation goals by participating in SAF agreements.

Blake Li, General Manager of Haixin International, a globally recognised SAF producer, discussed the rising demand for Used Cooking Oil (UCO) due to the scaling up of low-carbon liquid fuel production. He noted that the Chinese government’s recent reduction in export tax rebates for UCO could stabilise supply for domestic SAF producers. However, he cautioned that HEFA pathways face challenges due to feedstock limitations, necessitating the exploration of alternative pathways.

Samuel Wong, Vice President of PAC Asia Pacific, reaffirmed the aviation industry’s decarbonisation trend and introduced their ASTM-certified equipment for testing SAF characteristics, as well as their role in regulatory development.

Dr Louise Brown from HydGene, who flew in from Sydney, shared insights on green hydrogen as a stable SAF feedstock. She explained its potential for both Power-to-Liquid production and as a hydrogen source for other SAF pathways.

Professor Alec Zuo discussed the biomass potential for SAF production in Australia. He noted that while the eastern states have greater potential for hydrocarbon production, South Australia could leverage its renewable energy resources. 

The panel discussion, moderated by Dr Xin Deng, featured Dr Louise Brown, Dr Kimberly Camrass, Mr Frosti Lau, Stella Biggs (South Australian Government), and Patty Therrios (Adelaide Airport). The panel emphasised that collaboration is essential to kick-starting SAF supply chains, which involve numerous stakeholders, including policymakers, financial institutions, logistics providers, and academic researchers. Jacqui Ramagge Nikki Stanford Charles Giacco