“November should be dubbed the month of SAF,” project leader Professor Shane Zhang told delegates at the Second SAF Forum in Adelaide, hosted by the South Australian Sustainable Aviation (SASA) team with UniSA C-Edge and funding support from the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (NFACR). Daniel Boettcher, NFACR’s manager, travelled from Canberra to open the forum, while Dr Kimberly Camrass, Boeing’s Sustainability Lead for Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, shared Boeing’s progress on SAF research and investment in Toowoomba and stressed the need for stronger financial and policy support.

Professor Zhang gave an overview of China’s SAF progress, noting that stakeholders interviewed in Beijing were optimistic that China could lead the sector, much as it has with photovoltaic energy and electric vehicles, through early strategy and strong domestic supply chains. Mr Cong Hu of 9 Air outlined the cost pressures facing Chinese airlines without supportive policy, and Dr Kun Wang of Hong Kong Polytechnic University suggested that international SAF competition may become a contest between governments over subsidy generosity. Frosti Lau of Cathay Pacific highlighted the airline’s long-term SAF uptake agreements, and Blake Li of Haixin International discussed used cooking oil supply and the limits of HEFA feedstock pathways. Samuel Wong of PAC introduced ASTM-certified SAF testing equipment, and Dr Louise Brown of HydGene outlined green hydrogen as a feedstock option. Professor Alec Zuo examined Australia’s biomass potential and the land use, infrastructure and policy challenges involved.

A panel moderated by Dr Xin Deng, with representatives from Boeing, Cathay Pacific, HydGene, the South Australian Government and Adelaide Airport, agreed that collaboration across policymakers, financiers, logistics providers and researchers is essential to establishing SAF supply chains, and that airport infrastructure needs only minor modification to accommodate SAF.

“11月应该被称为SAF月份,”项目负责人Shane Zhang教授在第二届阿德莱德SAF论坛上对与会代表说道。本届论坛由南澳可持续航空(SASA)团队联合UniSA C-Edge主办,并获得National Foundation for Australia-China Relations(NFACR)的资助。NFACR项目经理Daniel Boettcher专程从堪培拉赶来致开幕辞;Boeing负责澳大利亚、新西兰及南太平洋地区可持续发展事务的Dr Kimberly Camrass介绍了Boeing在图文巴(Toowoomba)推进SAF研究与投资的最新进展,并强调亟需更有力的资金与政策支持。

Zhang教授概述了中国SAF发展进程,指出在北京接受访谈的相关利益方普遍持乐观态度,认为中国有望像在光伏和电动汽车领域一样,凭借早期战略布局和稳健的国内供应链在SAF领域占据领先地位。9 Air的Cong Hu先生阐述了在缺乏政策支持情况下中国航空公司面临的成本压力;香港理工大学的Kun Wang博士则提出,国际SAF竞争未来或将演变为各国政府之间比拼补贴力度的角逐。国泰航空(Cathay Pacific)的Frosti Lau介绍了该公司的长期SAF采购协议;Haixin International的Blake Li则讨论了废弃食用油(UCO)供应情况以及HEFA原料路径的局限性。PAC的Samuel Wong介绍了其ASTM认证的SAF检测设备;HydGene的Louise Brown博士则探讨了绿氢作为原料的可能性。Alec Zuo教授分析了澳大利亚的生物质潜力,以及其中涉及的土地利用、基础设施与政策挑战。

由Xin Deng博士主持、Boeing、Cathay Pacific、HydGene、南澳州政府与Adelaide Airport代表参与的圆桌讨论一致认为,政策制定者、金融机构、物流企业与学术研究者之间的协作,是建立SAF供应链的关键所在,而机场基础设施只需进行较小改造即可满足SAF加注需求。