Our country has achieved mass production of sustainable jet fuel from biomass.
On January 20, 2024, the sustainable aviation fuel (HEFA-SPK) produced by Henan Junheng Bio-Industrial Co., Ltd. was officially granted airworthiness approval by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. This marks that the SAF produced by the first private petrochemical enterprise in China has officially obtained airworthiness approval and can be put into commercial use.
Xia Zuxi, the director of the Center for Civil Aviation Fuel and Chemicals Certification of China Civil Aviation Administration, introduced that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a new type of aviation fuel that is made by biotechnology and mixed with traditional fuel in a certain proportion. It can reduce the net carbon dioxide emissions throughout the entire life cycle by more than 80%, making it a feasible alternative for green aviation energy.
If waste cooking oil (gutter oil) is reintroduced to the dining table, it will seriously endanger human health and affect food safety. However, what most people don't know is that waste cooking oil can be used to produce sustainable aviation fuel, which is an excellent carbon-neutral fuel.
"To promote the development of China's bioenergy, to make the products fly into space, to show pride for the Chinese people and for the motherland." Zhang Zhenhui, the executive director of Junheng Bioenergy, introduced that the company's independently developed 300,000-ton/year green and low-carbon biofuel technology, which took five years to complete, has achieved fruitful results. Using waste oils such as cooking oil and leftover food oil as raw materials, it has opened a new chapter of green environmental protection, transforming waste oils from "toxic" to "treasure", shifting from being a social hazard to serving society and benefiting humanity. "
In early January 2024, Junheng Bio's pure SAF was still undergoing performance and functionality tests on the APU test bench. The test results met all standards and were comparable to No. 3 jet fuel. This was the first successful engine test of 100% sustainable aviation fuel in China, and it completely filled the domestic gap.
Due to the excellent emission reduction effect of SAF throughout its entire life cycle, the Civil Aviation Administration of China has regarded SAF as the most important measure for achieving green development in civil aviation's energy conservation and emission reduction efforts in the medium and long term. In March 2023, the Civil Aviation Administration established a carbon neutrality working group to coordinate and deploy the carbon neutrality work of the civil aviation industry. Guided by the top-level design, the aviation industry has conducted in-depth explorations in areas such as SAF production, airworthiness verification, and demonstration applications, and has achieved certain results and progress.
"Henan Junheng is the first private enterprise to obtain the certification, and also the first enterprise to carry out regular SAF production and refining. It can be said that Junheng's entry into the civil aviation market is an important event for the green development of China's civil aviation industry." A relevant official from the Airworthiness Certification Department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China introduced, "The addition of Junheng Bio to the production of SAF not only ensures the future supply of SAF, but also sets an example and establishes a benchmark for private enterprises to contribute to the green development of civil aviation."
In the future, the Civil Aviation Administration will base itself on the country's "carbon neutrality" strategy. By forming a joint force across the entire industry chain, it will revitalize industry resources, continuously promote the diversification of SAF raw materials and the industrial chain, accelerate the construction of China's independent sustainable certification system for aviation fuels, address the shortcomings in raw materials, production, refining and sustainable certification, gain the initiative in the transformation and development of aviation energy, and contribute the Chinese solution to the sustainable development of global civil aviation.
