The funds will be disbursed over three years and will see the airline identify partnerships with organisations working on solutions in advanced fuel and energy technologies.
In January, Emirates flew a Boeing 777 with one of its engines powered entirely with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for the first time.
SAFs are typically derived by combining jet fuel with alternatives such as biofuels or recycled oils from industrial food facilities. Currently, SAF is approved for use in all aircraft, but only in blends of up to 50 per cent with conventional jet fuel. Following the successful trial on one engine, Emirates said it wanted to continue to develop the initiative with engine airframe manufacturers.
However, bio-based SAF, currently the only type of commercially available SAF, is extremely limited in supply. The International Air Transport Association estimates that the entire world’s annual supply of SAF meets less than 0.1 per cent of all airlines’...