Delta Air Lines has joined a new coalition in Minnesota focused on scaling Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to reach net zero by 2050.
The first large-scale SAF hub in the US is made up of Delta Air Lines, Greater MSP Partnership, Bank of America, Ecolab and Xcel Energy. The State of Minnesota has also joined this strategy, focusing on decarbonising the airline industry.
Commitments include environmental and water stewardship; producing affordable, low-carbon SAF; fostering adoption of innovative solutions and technology breakthroughs, as well as supporting university and private-sector research.
Delta aspires to use SAF for more than 10% of its fuel at MSP by 2027, with sights set on 50% by 2035.
After eight months of behind-the-scenes collaboration, the coalition will share its ambitious objectives at the North American SAF Conference and Expo in Minneapolis.
Progress to date includes establishing a shared, multi-phase strategy; securing financial incentives from the State of Minnesota; and building a growing coalition of Minnesota-based organisations including the anchor companies, State of Minnesota, the Metropolitan Airports Commission, the University of Minnesota, and knowledge partner McKinsey & Company.
Peter Frosch, President and CEO of the Greater MSP Partnership, said: “Our SAF Hub will accelerate progress toward decarbonizing the airline industry nationally while also creating thousands of good jobs across Minnesota.
“It is good news that some of the world’s most innovative companies are combining forces to build SAF production at the scale the market demands and at a pace the climate requires. Together, we are recruiting the next set of partners to join this effort to build an integrated SAF value chain in the center of North America’s economy.”
Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta, added: “The Minnesota SAF Hub is the game changer aviation needs to start producing SAF at the volumes required to meet our aggressive goals.
“This coalition of heavy hitters from across the SAF ecosystem are collaborating to rapidly scale production, demonstrating the power of partnerships to meet our shared goal faster than any of us could do on our own.”
