Fuel for Thought

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.—maker of superb business jets beloved of the world’s amply monied and their supremely fortunate pilots—has distinguished itself as the business jet industry’s first original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to operate one of its stock aircraft on one-hundred-percent-Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The flight saw a Gulfstream G650 powered by Rolls-Royce BR725 engines depart and return without incident to the company’s headquarters on Georgia’s Savannah/Hilton Head Airport (SAV).

The flight demonstrated that Rolls-Royce’s BR725 engine is capable of operating  on one-hundred-percent SAF. At present, SAF is only certified for use when blended with conventional petroleum jet fuel at blends of up to fifty-percent.

The SAF used in the 16 December 2022 test consisted of two components: HEFA (Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids), produced from waste fat and waste plant oils by World Energy in Paramount, California, and (SAK) Synthesized Aromatic Kerosene made from waste plant-based sugars by Wisconsin-based Virent Inc. The fuel—which is still in development—ostensibly eliminates the need for the addition of petroleum-based components, and can be used in extant jet engines and infrastructure with no prerequisite modifications. The HEFA/SAK fuel is thought to have the potential to reduce net CO2 lifecycle emissions by as much as eighty-percent.

Gulfstream president Mark Burns remarked: “At Gulfstream, leading our industry closer to decarbonization is a long-standing priority, and testing, evaluating and promoting new developments in SAF takes us another step closer to that goal. We are grateful for our partnership with Rolls-Royce to be able to demonstrate yet another milestone in these efforts.”

Encompassing three pillars—energy and emissions; operations; and culture and learning—Gulfstream’s sustainability strategy supports industry goals of two-percent improvement in fuel-efficiency per-year from 2010 to 2020; carbon-neutral growth from 2020 onward; and net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Subject goals were established by the National Business Aviation Association, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, and the International Business Aviation Council.

Rolls-Royce chief engineer and business aviation and engineering director Dr. Joerg Au posited: “Sustainable aviation fuels are essential for the decarbonization of the skies, as they have the potential to significantly reduce the carbon emissions of aviation and we have already proved they can be used as a drop-in fuel to power existing engines. This flight test with Gulfstream is another proof point that demonstrates the compatibility of our engines with SAF, bringing us another important step closer to enabling our customers to achieve net zero carbon emissions.”

Mr. Burns concluded: “Gulfstream has long prioritized sustainable products and practices through innovations in aerodynamics, aircraft technologies, engineering, manufacturing, and infrastructure, as well as in facilities operations and our investments in SAF research and development.”

The BR725-powered G650 aircraft family holds more than 120 world speed records, including that for the farthest flight in business aviation history. With more than five-hundred aircraft in service, the G650 and its sister aircraft, the Gulfstream G650ER, stand rightfully among the world’s most vetted and venerable business jets.

FMI: www.gulfstream.com