UL and TCD to collaborate on Sustainable Aviation Fuel research study

Monday, 15 July 2024

University of Limerick and Trinity College Dublin are to collaborate on a new research study into Sustainable Aviation Fuel production, it has been announced.

The four-year research study will examine potential avenues for manufacturing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in Ireland.

The research will be funded by the members of Aircraft Leasing Ireland (ALI), the Ibec group representing the aircraft leasing industry.

The European Commission has introduced legislation obliging fuel suppliers to blend increasing levels of SAF in kerosene for supply at EU airports, commencing with 2% in 2025. However, the current SAF supply falls significantly short of the 2025 target, making the scale-up of SAF production critical.

The primary focus of the study will be to identify how Ireland can establish a sustainable and viable supply chain for SAF raw materials, while also proposing scenarios in which a substantial quantity of SAF can be produced efficiently on the island. The study will commence in September 2024 and will run for four years.

It will be led by Associate Professor Stephen Dooley and Assistant Professor Mohammad Reza Ghanni of Trinity College Dublin, along with Professors Luuk Van der Wielen and Vivek Ranade of University of Limerick.

Minister Jack Chambers attended the launch of the study in his then role as Minister of State in the Department of Transport. He said: "Due to the importance of SAF in reaching international climate goals, there is an impetus on the State, academia, aviation industry and representative bodies to work together to identify and consider the opportunities for SAF in Ireland. I commend this collaboration and wish all those involved great success."

Luuk Van der Wielen, Bernal Professor Biosystems Design and Engineering, UL, said: "Sustainable air connectivity is critical for the island of Ireland. We at the University of Limerick see the strong collaboration with our colleagues at Trinity College Dublin and Aircraft Leasing Ireland as an excellent opportunity to support sustainable economic development by harvesting Ireland's off- and on-shore renewable energy, and the circular bioeconomy potentials.

"This is fully in line with the recent recommendations of the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce, the Irish Climate Action Plan and related strategies."

Karl Grifin, Vice-Chair of ALI, explained: "This research, conducted in partnership between Aircraft Leasing Ireland, University of Limerick, and Trinity College Dublin, will identify what's needed to establish effective SAF supply chains and processes that could lead to production here in Ireland. This long-term investment is an example of our members' commitment to supporting the wider aviation industry to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050."

Stephen Dooley, Associate Professor, TCD added: "Sustainable Aviation fuels must be produced from waste plant matter and renewable energy. Ireland has vast potential to produce both these building blocks, and therefore to produce SAFs indigenous to Ireland. The collaborative research between ALI, University of Limerick and Trinity College Dublin will assess supply chains and SAF production technology scenarios all around Ireland to learn the most important things; how much SAF can be produced, where, at what cost, and at what CO2 saving."

In addition to this funding, ALI, University of Limerick and Trinity College Dublin are members of the Department of Transport's Sustainable Aviation Fuel Task Force. This Task Force brings together stakeholders with responsibility for, and interest in, policy development and implementation in relation to SAF, who will assist the Department of Transport in the development of a national SAF Policy Roadmap.