Abstract
International civil aviation strives to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) is an alternative for such purpose. However, for an alternative fuel to be considered SAF, some conditions must be met, and production must be certified for sustainability. This paper presents an assessment of the necessary conditions for the sustainable production of these biofuels in Brazil. It is based on a geospatial publicly available database (SAFmaps) that was built with the aim of providing information to stakeholders who would be interested in the production of SAF. The geographic scope corresponds to an area that is about half of the country. The case studies reported in this paper are related to four crop-based feedstocks (eucalyptus, soybean, sugarcane, and corn), which could be used for SAF production, according to three certified routes (FT, HEFA, and ATJ) (Fischer–Tropsch, Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids and Alcohol to Jet); in total, six potential production sites were assessed. For each crop, the detailed assessment is based on estimates of suitability for biomass production, yields, and costs. The assumptions made allowed us to explicitly analyse the risk of deforestation (production could only occur with displacement of pastures) and the necessary preservation of sensitive biomes and of legally protected areas, in addition to observing the restrictive conditions imposed by CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation). To reduce GHG emissions, transporting biomass over long distances was assumed to be only by rail or pipeline. In addition, we address alternatives to minimise the risks associated with induced land-use change (iLUC) and to reduce impacts on the landscape. The results show that the production of SAF through the ATJ route, using ethanol produced from sugarcane and corn, requires less land. Economic assessment was outside the scope of this paper.
Highlights
As long as biomass is produced sustainably and its conversion is efficient, bioenergy can significantly contribute to the mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [1].Bioenergy is still the main source of renewable energy and is the only one that can directly contribute to the supply of biofuels and electricity, potentially with negative GHG emissions as long as carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies are applied to bioenergy systems
The information available in SAFmaps is for eight feedstocks that can be used in three routes of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) production: eucalyptus; soybean, palm, macaw palm, and beef tallow (HEFA-SPK—synthesised paraffinic kerosene from hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids); sugarcane, corn, and steel off-gases (ATJ-SPK—alcohol to jet synthetic paraffinic kerosene) [19]
SAF production would be very small in the case of the FT-SPK route, using only eucalyptus produced around São José dos Campos (SP)
Summary
As long as biomass is produced sustainably and its conversion is efficient, bioenergy can significantly contribute to the mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [1]. 2.2 to 3.1 times higher than that in 2015, depending on the scenarios In this sense, the civil aviation sector has set ambitious targets for reducing its GHG emissions up to the middle of this century. One of the options for reducing GHG emissions is the use of fuels with a lower carbon footprint, partially displacing conventional petroleum-based JET A-1 fuel These alternative fuels will be classified as Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) if they meet the supply chain sustainability criteria, defined by the ICAO CORSIA This paper presents an assessment of the appropriate conditions for the sustainable production of biofuels (SAF) in Brazil It is based on a geospatial database (SAFmaps) that was built in the context of a project, with the aim of providing information to stakeholders who would be interested in the production of SAF.
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