Vincent de Haes (TO70) on SAF
“If we don’t speed up and take more action, I believe the sector will lose its license to operate” Vincent de Haes tells us about SAF in aviation
To70 is an aviation consultancy that focuses on operational challenges and opportunities. They work with Airports, ANSPs, governments and other aviation stakeholders and provide them with analysis and expertise on sustainability, implementation innovations, increased efficiency and safety among other topics. Examples include noise impact studies, sustainable airport roadmaps, operationalisation of new government policy but also airspace redesigns or terminal capacity studies.
Within To70, Vincent de Haes works specifically on sustainable aviation or airport projects. After studying sustainability and seeing the massive steps the aviation sector still needs to take to reduce its impact he decided to focus on the available technology and innovations to achieve this. His work includes understanding how future fuels and technology for aviation can be implemented into current aviation operations, airport infrastructure and government policy. It also entails understanding the current emissions impact of aviation and the potential future fuels and technology have to reduce emissions, both locally and globally. His objective is to reduce the impact of the aviation sector by speeding up current action and mobilizing stakeholders. If we don’t speed up and take more action, he believes the sector will lose its license to operate.
We took the time to sit with Vincent to gather his thought about SAF, Stargate, and their roles in making the aviation sector greener.
– What is your role within the Stargate consortium?
Within the Stargate consortium, I am leading the task of developing new initiatives for SAF. Moreover, I support my colleague Ella Soltani in the dissemination of knowledge and projects to the fellow airports and am a part of the management board on behalf of To70. The work I do includes the organization of the Hydrogen airports conference, organization and coordination of the replication plans for each of the fellow airports and many research and pilot projects relating to SAF. One of the projects I led was the SAF catalogue, a document that aims to provide airports with guidance on the actions they can take to support and stimulate the use of SAF at their airport.
– What role does SAF play in the aviation sector?
SAF is a critical measure in achieving sustainable aviation alongside future technologies such as battery-electric and hydrogen-powered aviation. SAF is a drop in fuel, meaning it can be used in any aircraft currently flying at up to 50% blend. Currently, very little SAF is being produced and used by airlines, but as we look ahead to 2030 EU policy will push the minimum amount of SAF that needs to be used. Even further towards the future, 2040 and 2050, SAF will be critical for long-haul flights where future aircraft such as electric and hydrogen do not have sufficient range.
– What is the next project within Stargate when talking about SAF?
Within Stargate, we are putting the finishing touches on a pilot we did to purchase SAF on behalf of the consortium and get it delivered to Brussels Airport. In the report, we uncover many of the bottlenecks related to purchasing SAF and accounting for the reduction it achieves. Moreover, we are also looking into a survey on SAF to get a better understanding of the view people have of SAF and their willingness to purchase it.
The SAF Survey was set up based on a UK survey on SAF that showed interesting insights into the type of travellers that understand what SAF is and those that would be willing to buy it. In our survey, we hope to get more knowledge and build upon the previous survey by reaching out to a broader audience and by working together with the three partner airlines.
– What do you expect from the SAF Survey?
It is still a surprise! I am curious to see if passengers are willing to pay more for SAF once they are provided with more information on how SAF works and what benefits it has. I am also curious to see if frequent fliers take their responsibility as large emitters and therefore are willing to purchase more SAF than those that fly only once a year.
– After 3 years of Stargate, what are your feelings about the programme?
The Stargate programme gives the airport, but also partners such as us the space to be creative with innovations. This space allows us to discover new insights, and to be able to share them with a broader audience as it has been developed with public money and should therefore be shared publicly. This space has also personally allowed me to learn, grow and develop knowledge and skills that I aim to apply to make the aviation sector more sustainable throughout my career.
I am especially proud of the two Hydrogen Airport Conferences we have been able to organize together with the airports and ACI. Going from an idea in a dissemination brainstorm to a room packed with 80 people all contributing to hydrogen aviation is truly what Stargate can provide.
Looking forward, I am mostly excited about the first results of the airport SAF blending facility. It’s a bit of a moonshot but could lead to some very interesting insights into how the aviation fuel sector works. (ndlr. more on the SAF blending facility later)
