The national airline of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways, and World Energy, a producer of carbon-net-zero solutions, have announced the signing of a historic Memorandum of Understanding to create a long-term strategic alliance to decarbonize flights by way of in-sector emissions reductions.
Etihad is the first commercial airline to join World Energy’s new service for climate leaders in the airline and business world who are taking real steps to reach their net-zero goals. They are making long-term agreements with leaders to decarbonize transport, said Gene Gebolys, CEO of World Energy. Their collaboration with Etihad is purposeful and motivated.
It will spur innovation and responsibility so that they can scale up sustainable fuels and make a significant dent in the carbon footprint of aviation. The announcement follows the two businesses’ use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in a Book & Claim system to power the first net-zero trip.
This is done by using net-zero equivalent gallons of World Energy’s SAF at Los Angeles International Airport to replace about 26,000 gallons of petroleum-based jet fuel (LAX). As a result, almost 250 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide from Etihad’s regularly scheduled trip from Washington Dulles to Abu Dhabi during COP27 were eliminated.
Their NetZero flight proved Book & Claim is the only realistic route to net-zero commercial aviation using current technology and is the transitional framework needed till the supply of sustainable aviation fuel attains its sophistication and accessibility, said Mariam Alqubaisi, Head of Sustainability & Business Excellence, Etihad Airways.
Although employing SAF at the moment presents considerable logistical problems, net-zero commercial aircraft is still conceivable. When they can establish a trustworthy and effective supply at the airports that they serve, they are determined to use genuine SAF on flights from the US and throughout the world.
The Book & Claim Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Etihad and World Energy sets the impending contract between the two businesses, which is the first-ever, long-term arrangement to provide an airline with the environmental benefits connected with SAF manufactured in Los Angeles, California.
The Book & Claim system is an effective way to reduce airline carbon emissions and make significant strides toward reaching climate targets. In order to incorporate this flight as a part of the RSB Book & Claim Manual testing as an official pilot, RSB (Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials), the group that created this system, is working with Etihad and World Energy.
The NetZero trip is the most recent in a string of EcoFlight trials since Etihad’s Greenliner programme was introduced in 2020. Each trial tested and validated a number of theories.