• Home
  • News
  • Flight100 – Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 Engines Powers World First 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel Flight
Business-industry-data-aerospace, Global, News, Sustainability

Flight100 – Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 Engines Powers World First 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel Flight

  • 29 Nov 2023

The aviation industry has achieved a major milestone in its journey towards the 2050 net zero carbon emission goal.

Flight100, Virgin Atlantic’s historic flight on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) took off from London Heathrow to New York JFK on 28 November 2023. This marks the culmination of a year of radical collaboration, to demonstrate the capability of SAF as a safe drop-in replacement for fossil derived jet fuel, compatible with today’s engines, airframes, and fuel infrastructure.

Photo: Mediaselect

Flight100, flown on a Boeing 787, using Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, marks the world’s first 100% SAF transatlantic flight by a commercial airline. This significant flight was made possible by a Virgin Atlantic-led consortium that includes Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, ICF and Rocky Mountain Institute, in partnership with Department for Transport.

Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Atlantic said:

“The world will always assume something can’t be done, until you do it. The spirit of innovation is getting out there and trying to prove that we can do things better for everyone’s benefit.

Virgin Atlantic has been challenging the status quo and pushing the aviation industry to never settle and do better since 1984. Fast forward nearly 40 years, that pioneering spirit continues to be Virgin Atlantic’s beating heart as it pushes the boundaries from carbon fibre aircraft and fleet upgrades to sustainable fuels.

I couldn’t be prouder to be onboard Flight100 today alongside the teams at Virgin Atlantic and our partners, which have been working together to set the flight path for the decarbonisation of long-haul aviation.”

Photo: Mediaselect

As organisations and researchers continue to work towards the Net Zero 2050 goal, alternative energy sources like hydrogen and going electric still remain to be technologies of the future. Therefore, as the most available source of alternative jet fuel in near future, SAF plays a vital role in the decarbonisation journey for the aviation industry. 

Today, less than 0.1% of global jet fuel volumes are SAF and fuel standards only allow a 50% SAF blend in commercial jet engines. Flight100 proves that the challenge of scaling up production is one of policy and investment, and industry and government must move quickly to create a thriving UK SAF industry.

Shai Weiss, Chief Executive Officer at Virgin Atlantic mentioned: 

“Flight100 proves that Sustainable Aviation Fuel can be used as a safe, drop-in replacement for fossil-derived jet fuel and it’s the only viable solution for decarbonising long haul aviation. It’s taken radical collaboration to get here and we’re proud to have reached this important milestone, but we need to push further. There’s simply not enough SAF and it’s clear that in order to reach production at scale, we need to see significantly more investment. This will only happen when regulatory certainty and price support mechanisms, backed by Government, are in place. Flight100 proves that if you make it, we’ll fly it.”

Mark Harper, Transport Secretary at the Department for Transport said:

“Today’s 100% SAF powered flight shows how we can decarbonise transport both now and in the future, cutting lifecycle emissions by 70% and inspiring the next generation of solutions. 

This Government has backed today’s flight to take-off and we will continue to support the UK’s emerging SAF industry as it create jobs, grows the economy and gets us to Jet Zero.”

In addition to proving the capabilities of SAF, with the support of consortium partners ICF, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Imperial College London and University of Sheffield, Flight100 will also assess how its use of SAF affects the flight’s non-carbon emissions. The study will help improve scientific understanding of the effects of SAF on contrails and particulates and help to implement contrail forecasts in the flight planning process. Data and research will be shared with industry, and Virgin Atlantic will continue its involvement with contrail work through RMI’s Climate Impact Task Force, which is part-funded by Virgin Unite.

Photo: Mediaselect

The SAF used on Flight100 is a unique dual blend; 88% HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids) supplied by AirBP and 12% SAK (Synthetic Aromatic Kerosene) supplied by Virent, a subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corporation. The HEFA is made from waste fats while the SAK is made from plant sugars, with the remainder of plant proteins, oil and fibres continuing into the food chain. SAK is needed in 100% SAF blends to give the fuel the required aromatics for engine function.

In order to achieve the civil aviation industry’s net-zero goal, innovation and investments are needed across all available feedstocks. Technologies will also have to be harnessed to maximise SAF volume together with the continued research and development needed to bring new zero emission aircraft to market. 

Sheila Remes, Vice President of Environmental Sustainability at Boeing said: 

“In 2008 Virgin Atlantic and Boeing completed the first commercial SAF test flight on a 747 and today we will accomplish yet another significant milestone utilising a 787 Dreamliner. This flight is a key step toward our commitment to deliver 100% SAF-compatible airplanes by 2030. As we work toward the civil aviation industry’s net-zero goal, today’s historic journey highlights what we can achieve together.”

Recently, Rolls-Royce has also announced that it has proved all its in-production civil aero engine types are compatible with 100% SAF. This fulfils a commitment made in 2021, to demonstrate there are no engine technology barriers of using 100% SAF.

Simon Burr, Group Director of Engineering, Technology & Safety at Rolls-Royce plc said”

“We are incredibly proud that our Trent 1000 engines are powering the first ever widebody flight using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel across the Atlantic today. Rolls-Royce has recently completed compatibility testing of 100% SAF on all our in-production civil aero engine types and this is further proof that there are no engine technology barriers to the use of 100% SAF. The flight represents a major milestone for the entire aviation industry in its journey towards net zero carbon emissions.”

Photo: Rolls-Royce

You May Also LikeAAIS

Previous Article
Next Article