Aether Fuels and JetBlue sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The aim is to strengthen the supply of SAF, a strategic issue for commercial aviation, particularly in terms of decarbonization.
The agreement formalizes an existing relationship between JetBlue and Aether, already supported by JetBlue Ventures, the airline’s investment arm.
Aether Auroraâ„¢, Aether’s key technology, is distinguished by its ability to transform carbonaceous waste into liquid fuel.
This flexibility is essential to bypass the limitations encountered by other SAF production processes, which often rely on scarce and expensive raw materials.
The aim is to provide a sustainable fuel while optimizing costs and efficiency.
This partnership is part of a global trend to make aviation more sustainable through technological innovation.
Technology for flexibility and cost reduction
The Aether Auroraâ„¢ process relies on the use of non-food waste, including captured COâ‚‚, agricultural residues and industrial gases.
This eliminates competition with food supply chains, while offering flexibility in production sources.
Through an improved Fischer-Tropsch process, Aether optimizes the conversion of carbonaceous waste into liquid hydrocarbons.
This approach is designed to be more efficient, less costly and suitable for large-scale production.
The special feature of Aether Auroraâ„¢ lies in its suitability for a wide range of waste materials.
This avoids the supply constraints that limit current SAF production.
By using abundant and diversified raw materials, Aether intends to establish itself as a key player in the supply of sustainable air fuel.
JetBlue uses sustainable fuel as part of its decarbonization strategy
JetBlue is actively committed to using SAF to meet aviation’s decarbonization objectives.
The agreement with Aether makes it possible to envisage an acceleration in SAF production, a key requirement for achieving the sector’s ambitions to reduce COâ‚‚ emissions.
Sara Bogdan, JetBlue’s Director of Sustainability, points out that Aether’s ability to diversify feedstock sources could play a key role in the transition to large-scale jet fuel.
JetBlue Ventures, the company’s investment arm, has already supported the early stages of Aether’s development, notably by participating in the company’s fundraising.
With this agreement, the two companies take the next step in their collaboration, focusing on the production of SAF on an industrial scale.
Large-scale deployment: projects in the United States and Asia
Aether is working on setting up production units capable of supplying SAF in large quantities.
These infrastructures will be deployed in both the United States and Southeast Asia, two regions where demand for sustainable energy solutions is growing rapidly.
In parallel, a 100-gallon-per-day production pilot is currently under development.
This pilot phase builds on an earlier 1.5-gallon-per-day project already in operation, and enables the technology to be validated on a larger scale.
Aether’s large-scale projects should meet the growing demand for SAF not only in commercial aviation, but also in other fuel-intensive industries.
This diversification enables the company to multiply its opportunities, while remaining focused on the goal of reducing emissions from the aviation sector.
A market in full transformation
The airline industry is under increasing pressure to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
The transition to FAS has become a priority for major airlines, but current production remains largely insufficient.
The partnership between Aether and JetBlue aims to solve this problem by accelerating the availability of sustainable fuels on the market.
This initiative comes at a time when regulators and international organizations, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), are stepping up their emissions reduction requirements.
By working with partners like Aether, JetBlue aims to position itself as a leader in the energy transition in aviation.
The aim is to achieve more widespread use of SAF, capable of competing with fossil fuels in terms of cost and supply.
Aether, for its part, benefits from JetBlue’s expertise and financial support to accelerate its commercial development.
