The research, a collaborative effort between Airbus, Rolls-Royce, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and SAF producer Neste, marks the first time the effects of using this type of fuel in both engines of a commercial aircraft have been thoroughly examined while in flight. The results show significant reductions in both soot emissions and the formation of contrail ice crystals, which are known contributors to global warming.
The Emission and Climate Impact of Alternative Fuels (ECLIF3) study evaluated the emissions from an Airbus A350 powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines using 100% Neste's SAF. The data revealed a 56% reduction in the number of ice crystals compared to an aircraft burning conventional Jet A-1 fuel. The result suggests that SAF could play a pivotal role in decreasing the climate-warming impact of condensation trails, commonly known as contrails. In addition to reducing the number and size of contrails, the use of SAF also reduces CO2 emissions, which are a major contributor to global warming.
Jet contrails form when soot particles from aircraft engines serve as nuclei for supercooled water droplets, which freeze and create visible ice crystals. These ice crystals can persist and develop into contrail cirru…
