The UK has officially open the UK’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel clearing house at the University of Sheffield, funded by the Department for Transport (DfT).
The UK SAF Clearing House will be responsible for the helping companies test and qualify Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) both produced and used in the UK.
Aviation fuel must meet strict performance standards before it can be qualified as safe for use in aircraft and the fuel must undergo several stages of testing in accordance with industry recognised standards.
The costs of this testing can be a significant barrier to new fuels entering the market so the UK SAF Clearing House will support the qualification of sustainable aviation fuels to help overcome this barrier.
Professor Chris Lewis from the University of Sheffield, Director of UK SAF Clearing House, said: “It is great to see there is now a lot of activity in the development of SAF, however the increase in a diverse range of raw materials and processes means a major shift in the industry, which is both an opportunity to reduce aviation emissions and presents a challenge to get these increasingly diverse SAF products to market.
“The UK SAF Clearing House, in cooperation with the EU and US Clearing Houses, will provide technical advice and information, funding to support with testing, and help in understanding how the industry works, as well as helping producers engage with the industry in a positive way. We are delighted to announce we are open for business, so please do come and talk to us.”
Natasha Robinson, Deputy Director of Low Carbon Fuels at the Department for Transport, said: “The UK wants to be an international leader in the transition to SAF, which is a crucial element of the UK aviation industry’s decarbonisation ambitions. The UK SAF Clearing House will accelerate the testing of fuels by streamlining the process, in order to help companies get the qualification for use they need.”
The UK SAF Clearing House is a key part of the UK’s aims to decarbonise the aviation industry.