SINGAPORE, Oct 28 — National carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) has agreed to purchase up to 4,800 tonnes of next-generation (next-gen) sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Aether Beacon Pte Ltd over three years, with deliveries set to begin in 2028.

In a joint statement, it said the agreement marks SIA’s first purchase of SAF produced using new technology that converts waste carbon feedstocks into aviation fuel.

“SIA is the first airline to purchase SAF produced at Project Beacon, Aether’s commercial production facility, which is being developed at Aster’s refining complex on Pulau Bukom in Singapore.

“Project Beacon will use feedstocks such as biomethane and industrial waste gases to produce SAF using Aether’s Aurora technology,” it said today.

It noted that Aether uses its proprietary technology, which innovates around the Fischer-Tropsch process to convert waste-derived gases into liquid aviation fuel.

The SAF produced will be certified under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), it added.

SIA chief sustainability officer Lee Wen Fen said the airline is demonstrating demand for new lower-carbon fuel production pathways in Singapore, being the first airline to purchase SAF from Project Beacon.

“We will continue to work with partners globally to scale SAF production, strengthen the aviation industry’s sustainability ecosystem, and support the transition to more sustainable air travel.

“Supporting the development and adoption of SAF, and securing future supplies, are integral to SIA’s ambition of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050,” she said.

According to the statement, Aether also intended to start up its first large-scale commercial plant with a production capacity at least 10 times larger than Beacon, as part of its planned expansion of its next-gen SAF production capacity by 2031. — Bernama