The first two Alaska Airlines flights to use Gevo, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GEVO) renewable alcohol to jet fuel synthetic paraffinic kerosene (ATJ-SPK) finally flew on Tuesday from Seattle to San Francisco International Airport (Alaska Airlines Flight 388) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (Alaska Airlines Flight 2).
This signifies an important milestone in the Gevo’s attempts to reduce the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by aircrafts. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the airline industry comprises nearly 2% of the overall GHG emissions around the world.
Pat Gruber, Gevo CEO, explained that the production of alternative jet fuels has been in the works for years. Following the success of the first two flights, Gruber said that Gevo is excited to bring the technology to other airline companies. Gevo hopes to make ATJ a successful fossil fuel substitute that promotes greener advocacies.
Alaska Airlines’ Environmental Commitment
Alaska Airlines has long been known for its dedication to eliminate GHG emissions by looking for the best sustainable and renewable fuels that will power its aircrafts. In line with this, the company is Gevo’s leading partner in commercializing ATJ. Consequently, this event marks one of the most important elements in the company’s long-term sustainability goals. Joseph Sprague, Alaska Airlines Senior Vice President (SVP) of Communications and External Relations, reiterated that using ATJ plays a major role in the company’s commitment to reduced GHG emissions.
ICAO believes that by 2030, the number of air passengers will double. As a result, airlines will be forced to add more flights, massively increasing GHG emissions. Hence the need to come up with renewable energy alternatives.
Furthermore, Alaska Airlines has also teamed up with Boeing and the Port of Seattle to back the Biofuel Infrastructure Feasibility Study for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
What is ATJ-SPK
Gevo’s ATJ-SPK solution transforms bio-based isobutanol into jet fuel up to 30% fuel blend. This is in line with the requirements specified in the Standard Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuel Containing Synthesized Hydrocarbons (ASTM D7566).
Gevo is confident that utilizing the ATJ yields an improved capital cost, feedstock availability, operating cost, and even translation worldwide. Sprague noted that by using ATJ, all of these can be achieved with uncompromised performance.
