In a groundbreaking in-flight study, the use of 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in commercial aircraft has been shown to significantly reduce non-CO2 emissions, offering a promising step forward in sustainable aviation. The ECLIF3 study, a collaborative effort by Airbus, Rolls-Royce, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and SAF producer Neste, revealed a notable reduction in soot particles and the formation of contrail ice crystals compared to traditional Jet A-1 fuel.
The study, which tested 100% SAF on both engines of an Airbus A350 powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, is the first to measure the emissions impact using 100% SAF. A DLR chase plane followed the test aircraft to collect real-time data.
Key findings from the study include a 56% reduction in the number of contrail ice crystals per mass of unblended SAF consumed compared to conventional Jet A-1 fuel. This reduction is significant, as contrail ice crystals contribute to the climate-warming effect of aviation contrails.
DLR conducted global climate model simulations to estimate the impact of contrails on the Earth’s energy balance, known as radiative forcing. The results indicated that using 100% SAF could reduce the climate impact of contrails by at least 26% compared to using Jet A-1 fuel.
These findings highlight the potential of SAF to mitigate the climate impact of aviation by reducing non-CO2 effects such as contrails, alongside the well-documented reductions in CO2 emissions over the fuel’s lifecycle. The comprehensive research, including in-flight emissions tests and ground tests conducted in 2021, has been published in the Copernicus journal Atmospheric Chemistry & Physics (ACP).
The ECLIF3 program also involves researchers from the National Research Council of Canada and the University of Manchester, further validating the study’s rigorous scientific approach. For more detailed insights, the full report is available in the ACP journal.
This pioneering study provides the first in-situ evidence of the climate impact mitigation potential of using 100% SAF in commercial aviation, marking a significant milestone towards greener skies.