Questionnaire to Assess the Risk of Representative Feedstocks that can be Used to Produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Kentucky
This questionnaire is essential to a study being conducted by the University Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (UK CAER) for the Kentucky Energy & Environment Cabinet (KY EEC). The goal of this study is to assess the risk associated with representative feedstocks that can be used to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in Kentucky. Funding for this project is provided by the federal State Energy Program, administered by the Kentucky Office of Energy Policy.
What is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)?
SAF has similar composition and properties than conventional jet fuel, with which it can be blended and rendered compatible with existing aircraft and aviation fuel infrastructure. However, SAF is also renewable, results in lower emissions, and can be produced from feedstocks found in places with few petroleum deposits, like Kentucky. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and as of 2022, 84% of SAF was produced via the Hydroprocessing of Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), which utilizes oleaginous biomass feedstocks collectively referred to as fats, oils, and greases (FOG).
Why is SAF Important to Kentucky?
Governor Beshear’s Energy Strategy, KYE3, specifically calls out economic development opportunities relating to the development of SAF, which presents Kentucky with advanced energy economic development potential and supports Kentucky’s Energy Security plan by increasing fuel diversity. Aviation has an economic impact surpassing $18 billion in Kentucky, where it serves ~14.8 million passengers annually and supports 134,000 jobs. It is therefore important to assess the risk of representative FOG feedstocks in Kentucky as a first step in setting up a SAF industry in the commonwealth that would support this critical sector while creating new economic activity in the form of additional jobs and markets for its products. Indeed, SAF can be produced from soybean oil, corn oil, and distillers corn oil, which are some of the most important agricultural commodities in Kentucky. In addition, SAF can also be produced from animal fats (from livestock rendering), yellow grease (used cooking oil), and brown grease (FOG recovered from grease traps and/or from wastewater treatment plants).
How Can You Help?
UK CAER and the KY EEC are requesting the assistance of any stakeholders that deal with these feedstocks in answering this questionnaire, which consists of around 30 questions the vast majority of which are multiple choice. All responses will be kept confidential since results will only be reported in an aggregate, anonymized form. The questionnaire will close on Dec. 31, 2024. Respondents will be invited to participate in focus groups as well as in community engagement events in 2025, to clarify or elaborate on their responses and to learn about the insights gained through this work.