The aviation industry has set itself an extraordinary goal: zero carbon emissions by 2050. And, according to the latest NHK World report, they may be able to achieve this goal with raw materials previously thought of as kitchen waste! Japan-based media house NHK World recently interviewed a few people who talked about the relevance of used cooking oil. Speaking to a media house, Tsuboi Yasuyuki, manager of an izakaya in Tokyo, claimed that every month his restaurant regularly consumes 18-litre drums of cooking oil.
He said that usually they would pay the disposal company to pick up the used oil. However, he has now started getting inquiries from businesses interested in getting it for free. Some are even offering to pay them for it. “We thought it was useless,” Tsuboi said.
“Now, people are asking to take it off our hands, which is very strange.” Since leftover cooking oil can now be used to make sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, there has been a significant increase in demand. In Japan, about a third of the 400,000 tons collected last year were used as fuel for airplanes and other types of vehicles, according to NHK World.
sustainable aviation fuel
The aviation sector refers to fuel derived from non-fossil sources as SAF. Although leftover cooking oil is the primary material used in production, research is being done to find other potential waste sources. If we talk about why the aviation industry is so dependent on used cooking oil or SAF, it is important that we mention that SAF is being used to reduce carbon emissions.
International carriers must reduce their carbon emissions to near-zero by 2050, according to a target set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in October. This was done in response to increasing public pressure on the aviation sector to reduce its environmental impact.
According to experts from the Air Transport Action Group, the aviation sector produced 115 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2019. This represents about 2 percent of all world emissions. In recent years, airlines have started reducing emissions. Shorter flight paths and more fuel efficient aircraft are now being used.
However, according to NHK World, it is likely that these actions will only succeed in cutting emissions by 20 to 30 percent of ICAO’s objective. Manufacturers are also developing aircraft powered by hydrogen and electricity, but they are still far from being ready for use in commercial aviation.
Because of this, the aviation sector increasingly looks to the SAF as its saviour. According to estimates, switching from conventional jet fuel to SAF would reduce emissions across the board by about 80 percent.
Due to EU policy supporting SAF, the fuel is mainly used in Europe. However, a sizable plant is currently being built in Singapore, which will have an annual production capacity of one million tonnes, almost five times the current global total of 200,000.
As NHK World reports, the concept is being worked on by Neste, a Finnish business that produces the most SAFs in the world. SAF is provided by Corporation to Japanese airlines through trading company Itochu Corporation.
Sami Jauhianen, a Neste executive, claimed that the plant is a component of his company’s efforts to expand the market and increase the use of SAFs in Asia. “The Asia Pacific region accounts for about 40 percent of global jet fuel consumption, and this will continue to grow in the coming years and decades,” Jouhianen told NHK World.
“We will be well-positioned to meet the needs and demands of customers across the Asia Pacific region from our production facility in Singapore.” Earlier this year, a group of major Japanese companies formed ‘Act for Sky’ to build and promote the SAF.
Major airlines All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines are among the members, as well as companies outside the aviation sector such as Itochu, Idemitsu Kosan and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NHK World reports.
The main area of interest of the group is production of used cooking oil. A list of companies willing to cooperate has been established by the organization, including significant fast-food chains, frozen food producers, sushi franchises and hotels.
JGC, Cosmo Oil, and REVO International, three members of Act For Sky, are leading the initiative to domesticate SAF. They are now building a facility in Sakai City, Osaka, with a three-year production objective of approximately 30,000 tons. Even though it is a relatively small amount, Japan has plans for many more such initiatives.
According to Nishimura Yuki, a JGC executive involved in Act for Sky, establishing a domestic production base is essential to guaranteeing the long-term viability of the entire SAF project.
“Used cooking oil is currently sent overseas, processed at SAFs and brought back to Japan,” Nishimura said. “Of course, exporting and importing generate carbon dioxide and cost money. So given Japan’s national interests and decarbonization goals, we need something different.”
Countries are increasingly competing with each other to find alternatives to used cooking oil. Rising demand has resulted in skyrocketing prices for this waste oil, raising concerns about shortfalls in supply. According to some experts, wood and food waste can be used in SAF.
Nishimura told NHK World, “I am determined to do my best to develop the domestic SAF…so that people no longer feel embarrassed to fly.”