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Research on the use of biofuels in aviation is coordinated by the UFJF

The global agreement that culminated in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) provides for several goals aimed at a more sustainable world. A signatory country of the 2030 Agenda, Brazil must overcome several environmental challenges. These include reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 37% below 2005 levels by 2025, with a subsequent indicative contribution of 43% in 2030 as per the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (iNDC). ). Civil aviation has a significant impact on this determination, since it is responsible for about 2% of global carbon dioxide emissions, having a direct relationship with the anthropogenic process of global warming. According to data from the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), the aviation industry has committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the year in which it is estimated that more than 10 billion passengers will be transported, moving nearly USD 9 trillion in the world economy. In this context, the Federal University of Juiz de Fora has partnered with the National Civil Aviation Secretariat (SAC, in Portuguese) of the Ministry of Infrastructure to conduct research on the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and its implications. The study will evaluate the alternatives of the air sector in the face of national and international commitments to reduce GHG emissions, in view of the advanced discussions for the creation of a mandatory mandate for mixing SAF. Coordinated by Professor Fabricio Campos, director of Innovation at UFJF, the project aims to provide the SAC with technical information capable of supporting and assisting the decision-making process. “We expect to contribute in a complementary way in the construction of policies and guidelines for the economic regulation of air services by mapping the current scenario related to SAF, in Brazil and abroad.” With a term of 24 months, the results will be useful for planning related to airport infrastructure and the best logistical use for the availability of SAF at strategic airports. In addition to UFJF researchers, the team also has experts in aviation biofuels from the federal universities of Goias (UFG), Mato Grosso (UFMT), and Minas Gerais (UFMG). The launch was made during the 2nd Congress of the Brazilian Network of Biokerosene and Sustainable Hydrocarbons for Aviation (RBQAV), in Rio Grande do Norte, in May this year. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has set carbon-neutral growth as goals by 2020 and created the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), a simple offset mechanism that helps states meet this goal in the short term deadline. As a result, compliance with compensation obligations can be achieved through the use of sustainable aviation fuels, since the exchange of aircraft is impractical for the next 30 years. In the opinion of the professor at UFJF, Adilson David Silva, who is also a part of the team, Brazil has an advantage over other countries, as it is currently the second largest producer of biofuels in the world, with a well-established supply chain established as ethanol and biodiesel. “We have installed competence in the production of other renewable fuels. Brazil also has great wind, solar, hydroelectric, and biomass potential, essential for the production of green hydrogen (HV, in Portuguese), which is the raw material for the production of sustainable aviation fuels.” Regarding the analysis of the national SAF industry, specialists should consider the perspective of adherence to the objectives of the Fuel of the Future Program and the goals established by the CORSIA Program, “from the evaluation of the internal and external environment that involves the civil aviation national segment of fuel, listing its opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses in the face of the decarbonization process of global production chains.” “The most promising aviation biofuels are those that use renewable raw materials and can be obtained by hydrotreating vegetable oils, Fischer-Tropsch, oligomerization of alcohols, and fermentation of sugars.” The researcher mentions that despite the advancement of aircraft technologies, and consequent greater operational efficiency, as well as improvements in air traffic management and carbon offset programs, studies indicate that the adoption of SAF to replace fossil fuels is the only effective way to ensure the segment’s long-term carbon neutral operation. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the production of SAF in the world is currently 100 M liters, and to reach the goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050, production will have to increase to 449 MM liters. “Norway, in this sense, is a world pioneer in the adoption of a mandate, by determining the inclusion of at least 0.5% of SAF in all aviation fuel supplied in the country, starting in January 2020”, he informs. Professor Adilson Silva, who also coordinates the Zona da Mata Biodiesel Platform, a project formed by the triple helix between the University, City Hall, and Green Fuels, emphasizes: “It is urgent that the government takes action to promote public policies, establish short and long term, fiscal incentives, stimulus to R&D, and responsive regulation. If Brazil delays in creating these regulations, we will be seriously harmed.” – https://aeroin.net/pesquisa-sobre-uso-de-biocombustiveis-na-aviacao-e-coordenada-pela-ufjf/