The University of Sheffield has produced its first sustainable aviation fuel testing report as demand grows for cleaner jet fuel and more secure domestic supply.
The work, carried out by Sheffield’s Energy Innovation Centre, is designed to help UK fuel producers move new SAF products through testing, certification and towards commercial production.
The milestone comes as airlines face increasing pressure to cut emissions while concerns over jet fuel security rise because of geopolitical shocks, including the continuing crisis in the Middle East.
Sustainable aviation fuel is seen as one of the main near-term routes to reducing aviation emissions because it can be made from renewable or waste-derived sources and used in existing aircraft systems.
But the sector’s biggest challenge remains scale.
Demand for SAF is expected to grow sharply as airlines and governments push for higher blending levels, yet new fuels still face a complex and expensive testing and certification process before they can reach the market.
Sheffield’s facility is the first in the UK able to test emerging fuels while also giving detailed technical analysis and feedback to producers.
Its first report has been produced for Green Lizard Technologies, which is developing SAF in Teesside.
The assessment covered a Fischer-Tropsch Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene sample, using advanced chemical and compositional testing to check it against international aviation fuel standards. The work will help Green Lizard Technologies continue through the approval process needed to commercialise its fuel.
Dr Ehsan Alborzi, Senior Research Fellow in Aviation Fuels at the University of Sheffield, said the laboratory is supporting efforts to power more flights with low carbon jet fuel.
The university said the project shows how specialist testing could help unlock faster SAF production in the UK.
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