The Royal Air Force, in partnership with
industry partners, has carried out the world’s first 100%
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) flight using an in-service
military aircraft.
It was also the first 100% SAF flight of any
aircraft type carried out in UK airspace.
An RAF Voyager, the military variant of an Airbus
A330, took to the skies over Oxfordshire in England powered entirely by 100%
SAF.
The 90-minute A330MRTT flight from
RAF Brize Norton on Wednesday also
replicated an air-to-air refuelling sortie flight and was a
joint endeavour between the RAF, DE&S and industry partners
Rolls-Royce, Airbus and AirTanker, with the fuel supplied by Air
bp.
Rolls-Royce played a vital role in enabling
the flight to take place, by securing the technical approval for
SAF use on the Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engine
which powers the RAF Voyager fleet. Prior to the Voyager flight,
Rolls-Royce conducted a number of successful trials with
sustainable aviation fuel on aircraft powered by their engines.
“Across Rolls-Royce we are committed to partnering
with our customers to help them become more resilient to climate
change. Ensuring our engines are compatible with sustainable
aviation fuel is just one of the ways we are doing this,” said Alex Zino, Executive Vice President Business
Development and Future Programmes, Rolls-Royce. “This flight
demonstrates what we can achieve through effective collaboration
between industry and our armed forces customers, and I am
delighted to see that those partnerships have enabled this
achievement to take place.”
SAF, made from
waste-based sustainable feedstocks, such as used cooking oil in
this case, reduces lifecycle carbon emissions on average by up to 80%
compared to the conventional jet fuel it replaces, lessens the
RAF’s reliance on global supply chains, and improves operational
resilience.
The success follows last November’s small
aircraft UK flight powered by 15 litres of synthetic gasoline –
another world-first led by the RAF. Synthetic fuel is made from
water and carbon dioxide, which is then put under pressure and an
electric current run through it.
The RAF is aiming to be Net Zero by 2040 and have
its first Net Zero airbase by 2025.
