An MOU has been reached by the Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group to potentially source clean sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Aether Fuels (Aether), a climate technology company that plans to establish SAF production facilities in South East Asia and the United States of America.
When Aether plants start producing commercially, the SIA Group intends to purchase neat SAF for a period of five years, with the possibility of a five-year extension, according to the agreement. Before being delivered to a few airports that Singapore Airlines and Scoot serve, the neat SAF will be mixed with regular jet fuel.
Using its innovative and proprietary Aether AuroraTM technology, Aether will create the fuel from waste carbon feedstock. In comparison to current methods, the approach lowers plant capital costs, boosts production efficiency, and produces greater SAF yields.
“This partnership marks another step in the SIA Group’s journey towards our long-term decarbonisation goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. By collaborating with like-minded ecosystem partners such as Aether, we aim to accelerate and scale up the adoption of SAF in our flight operations, laying the groundwork for more sustainable air travel.”
Ms Lee Wen Fen, Chief Sustainability Officer at Singapore Airlines.
Temasek-backed deep tech venture capital firm, Xora fostered and funded Aether in 2022. Since then, it has expanded its operations in Chicago, where its research and development hub is situated, and grown its workforce in South East Asia. Future commercial-scale production projects in South East Asia and the United States of America will generate SAF approved by the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).
These projects are expected to greatly support the aviation sector’s sustainability efforts by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 75%.
“We are proud to join the SIA Group’s ecosystem of SAF technology innovators. Their decarbonisation goals are catalysing ingenuity throughout the supply chain and galvanising companies like Aether to develop production solutions that pair breakthrough technologies with next-generation feedstock strategies. The collaboration will deepen our understanding of the end-user customer priorities and of the SAF market, particularly in South East Asia. These advantages will further inform our project development programmes and accelerate our path to commercialisation.”
Mr Conor Madigan, Chief Executive Officer at Aether Fuels.
“Board Chair, Aether Fuels, said: “It is encouraging to see the SIA Group committing to meaningful sustainability goals and taking concrete steps to advance the adoption of SAF. Singapore has built a supportive environment for deep tech innovation, empowering companies like Aether to amplify the impact of transformative solutions to global challenges. Its Aurora™ breakthrough technology enables the production of SAF with the lowest green premium and most flexible, scalable feedstock. This collaboration with the SIA Group reflects a shared focus and commitment, making it a natural fit that will undoubtedly accelerate SAF innovation and adoption.”
Mr Phil Inagaki, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Xora.
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Image sourced from: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
