Masdar, a global renewable energy company with expertise in green hydrogen, is joining forces with aerospace giant Boeing to advance the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and on a global scale. The strategic partnership is aligned with the commercial aviation industry's mission to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
The Memorandum of Understanding was formalized at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) 2023. Signatories to this agreement included Mohammad Abdelqader El Ramahi, Chief Green Hydrogen Officer at Masdar, and Kuljit Ghata-Aura, President of Middle East, Turkey & Africa at Boeing.
Together, Masdar and Boeing are committed to fostering the growth and adoption of SAF policies, not only within the UAE but also worldwide. Additionally, the partnership seeks to explore advancements in SAF accounting principles, with the potential to overcome geographical limitations as the SAF industry expands.
SAF, derived from sustainable sources like green hydrogen, boasts the capacity to reduce carbon emissions throughout its lifecycle by as much as 85%, compared to conventional petroleum jet fuel. SAF is widely recognized as a drop-in replacement for up to 50% of traditional jet fuel in today's commercial aircraft, presenting a significant opportunity to reduce carbon emissions across all aviation segments over the next three decades.
Mohammad Abdelqader El Ramahi, Chief Green Hydrogen Officer at Masdar, underscored the importance of international collaboration and innovation in achieving global net-zero goals. He emphasized Masdar's role as a clean energy leader in the UAE and expressed pride in partnering with Boeing to advance sustainable aviation fuel projects. El Ramahi highlighted their joint commitment to advocating for enabling policies that will nurture this critical market, especially as the UAE prepares to host COP28.
Kuljit Ghata-Aura, President of Boeing Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, echoed the sentiment of excitement regarding the partnership's potential. He emphasized that adopting SAF represents aviation's most potent lever for decarbonization and stressed the positive economic impact, job creation, and business opportunities that would stem from the growth of the sustainable aviation fuel industry. Ghata-Aura also highlighted the long-standing collaboration between Boeing and the UAE in the pursuit of sustainable aviation goals.
Earlier this year, during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, Masdar unveiled an initiative focused on green hydrogen production for SAF. This initiative is actively working with licensors to certify a new production pathway for SAF derived from methanol, further advancing efforts to promote sustainable aviation
