SINGAPORE: Airbus SE is confident that Malaysia will play a major role in supplying feedstock for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as demand for the jet fuel alternative continues to increase.
Airbus chief sustainability officer Julie Kitcher said the company is collaborating with Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) to study several areas including analysing the production capacity increase of feedstock in Malaysia as well as supporting better air traffic management.
"We're working closely with a number of our partners across the Asia Pacific region and we're working on the feedstock pathways. We're working on the production pathways. We're looking to analyse the potential of feedstock in the country and the production capacity increase in the country.
"We're looking into a number of different factors within those agreements (with MAG) which remain confidential in detail but that's the big picture. We're very confident that Malaysia will contribute to feedstock on SAF production given the vast potential in the country," she said at a media briefing on pioneering sustainable aerospace at the Singapore Airshow 2024.
Airbus and MAG had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Feb 19 to conduct comprehensive studies on the carbon emissions of the airline group for two-year period.
The agreement was signed by MAG group chief sustainability officer Philip See and Kitcher.
MAG said the collaboration focuses on five key areas including SAF, carbon dioxide removal, assessment of financial implications associated with carbon dioxide reduction, forecast and scenario planning as well as joint advocacy and communications efforts.
Kitcher said there is an understanding across Asia Pacific countries of the importance of aviation and the necessity of aviation for connection, trade, cultural understanding and prosperity.
"Decarbonising aviation is an imperative, a question of when, not if," she said, adding that Asia Pacific region could play a leading role in aviation sector's decarbonisation.
Kitcher also said most of the region's SAF until 2050 are expected to come from alcohol-to-jet fuel that can be produced from sugar cane and power-to-liquid fuels.
She said the potential to turn used cooking oil into fuel is significant and will help the industry to scale up SAF production in the short-term.
"In Asia Pacific, there's a pressing need for additional SAF production capacity. The reality is that most countries in the region do not yet produce these fuels despite the considerable potential here."
"So, while the region's airlines have committed to use more SAF, these fuels are primarily available to them at airports in the US and Europe," she added.