US Sustainable Aviation Fuel Movement Takes Off Despite Trump-era Setbacks

The US sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) movement is gaining momentum, despite initial setbacks under the Trump administration's 'American Energy Dominance' plan. The plan supported biomass alongside fossil fuels, but biomass has struggled to make a significant impact in power generation and automotive markets.

However, biomass has been making inroads into the SAF space, particularly with the use of winter camelina, an oilseed crop explored for jet fuel since the early 2000s. The Montana Renewables biofuel facility in Great Falls, Montana, is one such example, receiving a $1.67 billion loan guarantee from the Energy Department during the Biden administration.

The facility anticipates an eventual SAF capacity of 300 million gallons per year and lists various inputs, including tallow, distillers corn oil, canola oil, used cooking oil, and camelina oil. The Minnesota SAF Hub aims to produce 1 billion gallons of SAF per year for use at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, with a focus on regional inputs and distribution.