Flying High: How Sustainable Aviation Fuel is Taking off to Save the Planet
Imagine a world where your next flight isn’t just a means of transportation, but also a step towards saving the planet. Well, that world may soon be a reality, thanks to the work of companies like Dimensional Energy.
On a recent breezy December afternoon, Jason Salfi, CEO of Dimensional Energy, took the stage at the University of Arizona Tech Park in Tucson donning a big smile and a white hard hat. He was there to cut the ribbon on the company’s new project to help decarbonize aviation, one of the trickiest sectors to emancipate from fossil fuels.
But this wasn’t just any ordinary ribbon-cutting ceremony. Salfi was unveiling a revolutionary new technology that captures carbon dioxide from the air, or directly from industrial emitters, and turns it into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other products. Dimensional Energy calls this technology “a regenerative system, inspired by nature.”
This isn’t just good for the environment, it’s also good for business. United Airlines, a business partner of Dimensional Energy, has committed to purchasing at least 300 million gallons of SAF over the next 20 years. And with other facilities soon to join the effort, Dimensional Energy expects to generate 84 gallons per day by the end of 2023, increasing that 100-fold by 2025, and “fuel global air travel” with more than 42,000 gallons per day by 2027.
Currently, aviation is responsible for 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and 3% of overall emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. But with companies like Dimensional Energy leading the way in sustainable fuel production, we may soon see a reduction in these emissions and a greener future for air travel.
Just imagine, your next flight could be powered by carbon dioxide captured from a nearby cement plant, instead of fossil fuels. And who knows, if Dimensional Energy’s ambitious plans come to fruition, the airport in Tucson, where the company held its ribbon-cutting ceremony, may one day be using SAF made by the company.
So, the next time you board a plane, you can rest easy knowing that you’re not just traveling from point A to point B, but also doing your part in saving the planet. And as Salfi said, “We would like to thank the Earth for providing the molecules that we use to make the green fuels.
