Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is set to start flowing at Brisbane Airport, with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) marking a key milestone in building Australia's low emission aviation industry.
Through ARENA funding, Viva Energy Australia has recently completed refurbishing a storage tank at its Pinkenba Terminal which is now able to store, blend and supply sustainable aviation fuel to Brisbane Airport.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said this highlights progress in building the supply chains needed to decarbonise aviation.
"Aviation is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise and sustainable aviation fuel will play a critical role in reducing emissions using today's aircraft and infrastructure," Mr Miller said.
"This project shows how we can start supplying SAF through existing fuel systems, while building the foundations for a domestic industry in Australia."
The project will supply SAF to aircraft at Brisbane Airport and trial a "book and claim" system, allowing airlines and corporate customers to purchase, track and account for the emissions reductions associated with the SAF supplied to the airport.
Alongside this milestone, ARENA is continuing to support a pipeline of projects to accelerate the development of a domestic SAF industry.
This includes $3.15 million under the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Funding Initiative for Wildfire Energy to pilot the integration of its MIHG technology with methanol synthesis to produce methanol and undertake a feasibility study to assess a Queensland facility that would convert waste into SAF.
By backing projects across the supply chain, from fuel production to distribution and use, ARENA is helping to accelerate the transition to lower emissions aviation in Australia.
With the newly announced funding, ARENA has now provided $36.7 million in funding towards six projects as part of its Sustainable Aviation Fuel Funding Initiative. ARENA is also administering the Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund, including its low-carbon liquid fuels funding stream with $250 million in funding available to support the development of the industry.
For updates about the Cleaner Fuels Program visit the ARENA funding page.
