United Airlines has revealed its plans to develop sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from algae. By investing $5 million in algae biofuel producer Viridos, the carrier aims to unlock algae’s exciting potential when it comes to SAF production.
The technology used by Viridos accelerates the amount of oil that can be produced from microalgae. This oil can then in turn be used to develop sustainable aviation fuel, which according to current estimates, is expected to have a 70% lesser carbon footprint compared to traditional aviation fuel. Uniquely, algae can be grown and harvested at scale without impacting on the food chain.
The investment is the first of its kind to be made from the United Airlines Ventures (UAV) Sustainable Flight Fund. UAV’s president, Mike Leskinen, said,
“SAF is proven, scalable, and the best tool we have to reduce our carbon emissions from flying, but we face a significant shortage of available feedstock. As the global aviation leader in SAF production investment United remains committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions, without relying on traditional carbon offsets, by 2050. Viridos’ algae-based biofuel technology has the potential to help solve our supply problem without the need for farmland or other agricultural resources and marks our inaugural investment in our new cross-industry UAV Sustainable Flight Fund.”
United Airlines already has a solid reputation for sustainability, and the company has made more investments in the development of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) than any other airline in the world, totaling over three billion gallons.
In order to assist startups working to decarbonize the aviation sector through SAF research, technology, and manufacturing, the Sustainable Flight Fund was formed. Other businesses that have so far made contributions to the initiative include Air Canada and Boeing.
Agricultural waste and cooking oil are frequently used to make SAF, although it can also be made from other materials, like algae. Microalgae, which have been demonstrated to produce up to seven times more oil than wild algae, are now being developed by Viridos.
Microalgae are unusual in that they are cultivated in vessels containing seawater, enabling the technology to be employed in hot, arid places and without depleting freshwater or arable land resources. They also produce more oil in a smaller surface area.
