Brussels Airport is the first European airport to test a mobile blending facility to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The project is the final phase of the Stargate project, established with the support of the European Commission, through which the airport has explored more than 30 sustainability measures in recent years.
“We remain committed to working toward a more sustainable airport with the same conviction and ambition,” says Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport. However, that statement is somewhat contradictory: according to a recent report by T&E, the airport’s growth ambitions undermine climate goals, even when technological advances – such as the use of SAFs – are considered.
Used cooking oil
In Europe, airlines are currently required to use at least 2% SAF – produced, for example, from used cooking oil – blended with 98% traditional kerosene. This blend is delivered to Brussels Airport via an underground pipeline and is the same for all airlines. Airlines can purchase other blends, but ultimately these are added to the large kerosene storage tanks at the airport.
That is about to change with the mobile blending unit installed at Skytanking, which supplies fuel to aircraft at Brussels Airport using a truck. Thanks to this system, airlines can request a more customized SAF blend; for example, they can request 10% or 20% SAF for a specific aircraft. The main purpose of the test is to investigate how targeted fuel delivery to airlines operating with a higher SAF content can work in practice.
At the same time, the installation is intended to measure the impact of higher SAF percentages on ultrafine particle emissions. These particles play a role in contrail formation, which contributes significantly to global warming.
Limited production
Modern aircraft are permitted to fly using up to 50% SAF, but in practice, almost no flights or airlines are currently utilizing this maximum limit: approximately 0,6% to 0,8% of all jet fuel consumed by the aviation industry worldwide is SAF.
However, to achieve the goal of net-zero emissions in Europe, aviation fuel must consist of at least 70% SAF by 2050 – the mandatory share will be phased in gradually, reaching 6% by 2030, for example.
So, it’s high time to shift into high gear, but in the EU, flights currently use an average of only 2,8% SAF. That’s because reduction is still limited – a problem that has been highlighted for several years now. Plus: SAF is also 2 to 4 times more expensive than traditional kerosene, although that cost can, of course, be passed on to travelers to raise awareness of climate issues under ‘the polluter pays’ principle.
In any case, the impact on ticket prices won’t really be felt until around 2030 – at 2% SAF, this currently costs passengers only an additional €2 to €5 on a European ticket – but manufacturers hope SAF production costs will have dropped significantly by then.
Heavy investments needed
Currently, production is primarily limited by the availability of cooking oil. To scale up production, we would need to switch to synthetic SAF (e-fuels / Power-to-Liquid) or fuel derived from forestry waste and algae. But that requires massive investments and a large amount of renewable electricity, which is not yet available in sufficient quantities.
Investors also want an upfront guarantee that airlines will purchase the expensive fuel at a fixed price for 20 years. However, airlines are reluctant to sign such long-term, expensive contracts ‘en masse’ for fear of pricing themselves out of the market compared to competitors from other parts of the world who have no such obligations. And so, the vicious cycle behind the current standstill is complete.
Accelerated rollout of electrification
In any case, the mixing facility marks the culmination of Stargate, a 5-year sustainability project led by Brussels Airport, in collaboration with partner airports in Athens, Budapest, and Toulouse, and supported by nearly 25 million euros in European grants. As part of this effort, more than 30 projects focused on more sustainable airport operations were tested, aiming to reduce noise pollution, emissions, and local impact.
According to Brussels Airport, the project has enabled them to accelerate the rollout of several innovations. This primarily concerns the electrification of vehicles operating on the tarmac, sometimes reducing noise by 10 to 15 decibels and ultrafine particles by up to 80%.
Currently, 60% of these vehicles are already electric, and that figure is expected to reach 80% by 2030. Hydrogen-powered vehicles have also been tested as an alternative when e-vehicles are not an option. Hydrogen has potential, but infrastructure and financial feasibility remain challenges. The airport is also clear about its ambitions: “It doesn’t stop here; sustainability remains one of Brussels Airport’s strategic pillars.”
“Reconcile economic and environmental interests”
Flemish Minister of the Environment Jo Brouns (CD&V) – Flanders is the airport’s largest shareholder – also called Stargate “a model project for Flanders and far beyond”, because it seeks to reconcile economic and environmental interests. “Aviation is crucial to our connection with the world, but the goal must be to minimize the impact of economic activities on the environment as much as possible,” Brouns added.
However, such statements – no matter how serious and noble their intent – must always be viewed in the context of projected economic growth. In a recent report, the NGO T&E pointed out that many airports in Europe, including Brussels Airport, plan to handle more passengers in the coming years. And you can guess three times what that will come at the expense of.
“Airlines and airports in Europe are telling governments that they can expand and carry more passengers while still meeting European climate targets, promising that more environmentally friendly jet fuel and more efficient aircraft will reduce emissions sufficiently,” according to T&E.
According to the NGO, its study of twenty airports in ten countries shows that this is not true. “Every airport exceeds its climate budget,” even when technological advances are considered.
