IAE International Aero Engines AG (IAE AG) successfully tested its newest V2500 jet engine utilizing 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at MTU Maintenance Hannover in Germany.
President of IAE AG and Pratt & Whitney Vice President of Mature Commercial Engines Kim Kinsley emphasized the tests' important role in SAF technological advancement. He stressed that V2500 jet engines running powered by SAF might help the aviation sector reach net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Kinsley remarked that IAE AG will enforce the use of SAF in the coming years.
A collaboration comprising Pratt & Whitney (now RTX), Pratt & Whitney Aero Engines International GmbH, Japanese Aero Engines Corporation, and MTU Aero Engines AG formed IAE AG. In 1987, IAE AG introduced the two-shaft high-bypass turbofan V2500. It powers the Airbus A320, McDonnell Douglas MD-90, and Embraer C-390 Millennium.
This latest development on the V2500 engine comes after the Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. completed the first transatlantic flight with 100% SAF on a Gulfstream G600, proving the sustainable fuel's aviation potential on the six-hour, 56-minute Savannah-Farnborough flight. The feat was achieved in November last year, as reported by TechTimes.
World Energy supplied and World Fuel Services distributed this historic flight's SAF. According to Gulfstream, Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (neat HEFA) have at least 70% smaller lifetime CO2 emissions than fossil-based jet fuel, reducing climate impact.
Advancing Sustainable Aviation Goals
MTU Maintenance Hannover is the first MRO facility to test 100% SAF on the V2500 engine, according to MTU Aero Engines Chief Program Officer Michael Schreyögg. The firm targets its infrastructure to pass SAF testing by operators or owners.
The V2500 engine's fuel economy and low emissions make it popular for commercial, freight, and military aircraft platforms. Licensed to mix SAF with up to 50% conventional Jet A and A-1 gasoline, the V2500 engine saves fuel and is environmentally friendly.
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In light of this development, SAF adoption is predicted to help the aircraft industry reach net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 as SAF reduces CO2 emissions by up to 80%, according to the International Air Transport Association. Sustainable fuel is likely to produce a modest amount of worldwide jet fuel this year, but its use is expected to rise in the future.
SAF Demand Expected to Rise
SAF production systems directly collect airborne carbon, solving food crop competitiveness and environmental degradation problems. This fuel's low sulfur content and lack of aromatics mitigate non-CO2 environmental consequences and improve local air quality.
The National Center for Atmospheric Science and the University of Manchester compared sustainable aviation fuel emissions to jet fuel. During low thrust, SAF carbon dioxide emissions dropped by up to 80%, and ultrafine black carbon emissions dropped by 45%.
However, aviation executives worry about SAF availability outside the European Union, where requirements have been set. However, according to Eco-Business, future advances in synthetic propellant manufacturing, such as hydrogen fuels, may provide more sustainable aviation fuel development prospects.
IATA expects SAF to provide 0.5% of global aviation fuel this year at 1.5 million tonnes. S&P Global Commodity Insights predicts 3.5 million tons next year. Much of the supply will be utilized in the EU, which mandates SAF usage from 2% in 2025 to 70% by 2050.
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