Having delivered several successful new projects in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, Hornbæk Plast Industri A/S is very ambitious to deliver even more sustainable products in the future.

Michael Lindhard, the company’s CEO said “RSB certification has given the company the opportunity to assist its customers in achieving their sustainability goals and in doing so also achieve our own.”

Welcoming the company as a new RSB Participating Operator, RSB Executor Director, Rolf Hogan, had this to say, “With more and more companies choosing to demonstrate the best-in-class sustainability required to achieve RSB certification, transformation in the plastics industry is beginning to pick up pace. By delivering sustainably produced bottles across Northern Europe, Hornbæk Plast Industri A/S is offering its customers real, tangible positive impacts from the products they buy, verified with an RSB label.”

Interested consultants are invited to submit proposals by 30 January 2021 including: 1) an overview of relevant experience; and 2) a short plan outlining the approach to implement the review based on the following Terms of Reference.

Review the Terms of Reference and submit a proposal here.

The FLITE consortium, led by SkyNRG and with LanzaTech as the technology provider, will build the first-of-its-kind LanzaJet^TM Alcohol to Jet (AtJ) facility. The facility will convert waste-based ethanol to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a scale of over 30,000 tons/yr. The project received €20 million in grant funding from the EU H2020 programme and is a major milestone on the path to a net zero emission for the aviation industry.

Sustainable aviation fuel is critical to reduce emissions from the aviation sector in the coming decades. Ambitious targets are proposed as part of the European Green Deal ‘Sustainable and smart mobility’ policy and the new legislative initiative ‘EU ReFuelEU Aviation’. To meet these targets in the years to come, it is essential that we diversify feedstock and technology options for SAF production. This pre-commercial AtJ production plant will pave the way to implementing SAF production across Europe and around the globe, producing commercially relevant quantities of SAF to support future aviation’s climate targets.

The FLITE (Fuel via Low Carbon Integrated Technology from Ethanol) project kick-off was held on December 8^th, 2020. The consortium consists of leaders from their respective industries. SkyNRG, a global market leader for SAF solutions, is acting as the project coordinator and managing downstream supply chain development; carbon recycling company, LanzaTech, will be responsible for plant design, construction and operations using the LanzaJet^TM AtJ technology; Fraunhofer, Europe’s largest applied research organization, will oversee and distribute communications about the project; energy and sustainability strategy consultancy E4tech, will conduct the life cycle assessment; and the world’s most trusted, valued and peer-reviewed standard for the bio-based economy, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), will support the project through guidance on RSB certification of the facility.

Maarten van Dijk, Managing Director SkyNRG: “With the increasing demand for SAF in the future, there is a need to diversify SAF technologies and feedstock. This first of its kind Alcohol-to Jet production in Europe will be an important step in the direction of making sustainable aviation fuel more accessible and scalable, supporting net zero emission ambitions for the aviation industry. SkyNRG is excited to be a part of the FLITE project.“

Jennifer Holmgren, LanzaTech: “Bending the carbon curve requires collaboration and strong partnerships, something the FLITE Consortium exemplifies! We look forward to implementing LanzaJetTM Alcohol-to-Jet technology in Europe. This is an important enabler to expanding production of sustainable aviation fuel and creating a path to a lower carbon future. We are grateful for the Horizon 2020 funding which has made this project possible.”

Rolf Hogan, Executive Director, RSB: “This project addresses two key challenges faced by the aviation sector today – rapid decarbonisation and doing so in a sustainable manner. It aims to scale the production of SAF in Europe, and ensure it meets the most stringent sustainability standards. The RSB is proud to support partners to demonstrate sustainability performance and meet regional and global regulatory requirements of EU RED and CORSIA.”

Looking to accelerate local economic development in innovation, energy security, and job creation, the FLITE project, will produce more than just fuel. The FLITE AtJ facility will be fully operational in 2024, producing SAF using waste-based ethanol sourced from multiple European producers. In addition, it will produce SAF which will result in a significant carbon emission reduction relative to fossil kerosene and will also reduce emissions of particulates matter and sulphur. As such the SAF will be certified through the robust standards of RSB.

For additional information and questions please contact the Project Coordinator, SkyNRG:

mediarelations@skynrg.com

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 857839.

“We congratulate RSB for achieving a significant milestone: ICAO recognition of RSB’s world-leading Standard for use in meeting the sustainability requirements of CORSIA. Use of the RSB CORSIA Standard will give airlines confidence that they can meet their vision for a truly sustainable future for aviation. LanzaTech’s commitment to RSB through the years reflects the importance of sustainability in all aspects of our business and recognition that RSB is the Gold Standard.” Jennifer Holmgren, CEO, LanzaTech

“The announcement from ICAO that it has recognized the RSB CORSIA Standard is very welcome news. Congratulations to RSB for this important achievement. RSB has been the leading sustainability standard for aviation since the inception of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG) in 2008 and LanzaJet looks forward to working with the RSB team for our Alcohol-to-Jet production facilities.” Jimmy Samartzis, CEO, LanzaJet

Also supportive of RSB certification is Neste, with Sami Jauhiainen, Vice President Business Development, Renewable Aviation congratulating RSB, “Sustainability is at the heart of business at Neste and we are committed to supporting the aviation industry in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions with the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels. We cordially congratulate RSB for receiving the recognition for its CORSIA standard and we look forward to continuing the close collaboration.”

Reacting to the news of RSB’s recognition by ICAO, RSB Executive Director, Rolf Hogan, had this to say, “Today is an exciting day for the aviation industry as a clear pathway is now available for leaders to demonstrate that their commitment to sustainability goes above and beyond the legal requirements of CORSIA to also include a full range of social and environmental impacts as well. We look forward to working with these pioneers to implement this new RSB CORSIA Standard to help transform the industry – and the world!”

This sentiment was echoed by Pedro Piris-Cabezas, Director of Sustainable International Transport and Lead Senior Economist at the Environmental Defense Fund who said, “ICAO Council’s approval of RSB as an eligible Sustainability Certification Scheme is both an outstanding achievement for RSB and a major milestone for ICAO CORSIA, which completes CORSIA’s SAF framework. RSB CORSIA Standard also represents a paradigm shift, moving from RSB’s original focus on sustainable biofuel volumes to a new focus on emissions reductions from the use of SAF for carbon markets.”

Click here to download a slide deck summarising RSB’s CORSIA Standard approach, and here for more information about CORSIA.

Explore the new Standard and Certification here.
Learn more about our work in the aviation sector here.

To learn more about our work in aviation, please contact Arianna Baldo: arianna.baldo@rsb.org

The call, led by organisations including Oxfam and Save the Children, clearly links the ongoing destruction of nature with a huge range of social risks including increased likelihood of exposure to infectious disease.

“The rapid loss of nature, ecosystems and biodiversity is therefore not only threatening our environment but also health, diets, development, social equity and human rights.”

With the impacts of biodiversity loss likely to be felt most keenly by the world’s poorest — impacting vulnerable and marginalised communities in myriad ways — failure to address this vital issue will lead not only to environmental destruction but will undermine social, developmental and security outcomes around the world.

ICENECDEV, based in Cameroon, has added its voice to the growing list of signatories to the call to action and encourages social and development organisations within RSB’s membership to join them.

Eric Fongoh, Executive Director of ICENECDEV, has this to say: “We urge all relevant organisations in the RSB membership community to join us in calling for urgent action to halt and reverse nature loss to protect people around the world. This is an excellent opportunity for RSB members to further support the organisation’s commitment to conservation.”

Download the Call to Action here.

The report confirms that a “significant shift away from fossil fuels, the introduction of radical new technology and continued improvements in operations by the sector” is needed in order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2065, and its analyses will be used in negotiations within the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

In all scenarios analysed, Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) will contribute to the decarbonisation of air traffic to varying degrees, with a minimum of 50% of emissions reductions achieved by SAF. SAF will continue to be a vital tool to support the climate change goals of a sector that will fly over 10 billion passengers annually by 2050.

However, in order for SAF to be truly sustainable, a reputable sustainability certification is needed in order to demonstrate GHG reductions and sustainability is real. RSB certification ensures that SAF achieves at least a 50% GHG reduction vs fossil baselines, and is produced without compromising social and environmental sustainability.

ATAG recognises the crucial role of RSB in promoting sustainable aviation in the report by identifying RSB membership as the easiest action that the aviation industry can take today to help accelerate the energy transition in a robust and sustainable way.

Download the full report here, and learn more how to become a RSB member here.

The South African sugarcane industry is looking to urgently diversify in order to future-proof an industry made up of commercial farmers and 18 770 small-scale farmers, who combined, employ 65 000 people directly and 270 000 indirectly. Sugar production in South Africa has declined by 25% in recent years, partly due to a flood of cheap imports, and with farmers incurring unsustainable financial losses urgent change is required.

With 12.5% of South Africa’s 19 million ton sugar cane yield produced by small-scale farmers and the whole industry providing vital rural employment, SAF production from South African cane offers real opportunities to develop and diversify the rural economy.

Demand for SAF that offers a minimum of 50% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to conventional jet fuel, while also carrying a credible environmental and social sustainability certification, is growing globally — driven by new policy mandates, passenger demand, and industry targets.

Research conducted jointly by RSB and SA Canegrowers (an RSB member) confirms that South African sugarcane — a crop grown in significant quantities in the Northern Eastern part of the country — provides a wholly viable feedstock for the production of SAF. As such, the sugarcane sector in South Africa should strongly consider SAF as a diversification option.

However, South African irrigated sugarcane is still a GHG-intensive crop because of the coal-based energy mix dominant in the country. The diversification of South Africa’s energy mix in favour of renewables has the potential to dramatically strengthen the competitive advantage of local irrigated feedstock — including sugarcane — in the global SAF marketplace. As the South African government looks to strengthen social development and rural economies, the urgent transition from a reliance on coal for energy to renewables is clearer than ever.

RSB is perfectly positioned to support government and industry players who are ready to commit to producing SAF that does not negatively impact food security, water availability, local communities, and ecosystems.

This research project by the RSB and SA Canegrowers was made possible with the support of Boeing.

“We are continually working to find more ways to reduce the impact of flying on our environment, and sustainable fuels are a key piece of this—that’s why we’re proud to support this critical research by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials and the South African Canegrowers Association,” said Bernard Dunn, vice president of Boeing International and President, Boeing Middle East, Africa and Turkey. “Sustainability is a priority for our company, and Boeing is committed to continuing to support programs like this as we innovate and operate to make the world better for our industry and our communities.”

The most important results of the research are available in an 8-page executive summary. Download it here.

The full-research document, divided in three parts, is available below:

Part I – Market Analysis

Part II – Sustainability Gap Analysis

Part III – GHG emissions

RSB will provide important guidance on the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) in the project – ensuring that the project utilises SAF that is compliant with RSB’s best-in-class sustainability standard by providing expert advice and support throughout the project.

The aviation industry is undergoing a transition that no later than 2050 will see carbon emissions from  aircraft and airports completely eliminated. While there are many technological opportunities and  solutions, there are also quite a few barriers to achieving a green transition for the sector.  

That is why the European Commission has allocated funds from its Horizon 2020 research and innovation  programme for a “Smart Airports” project. Copenhagen Airport has been selected as a so-called lighthouse  airport to head a European consortium. The purpose is to demonstrate how airport infrastructure of the  future should be designed to reduce and eventually completely eliminate carbon emissions: 

“With this project, we aim to develop specific solutions and create a comprehensive concept for designing  the airport of the future. We must be able to provide an infrastructure for the aircraft of the future, which  may be electric or powered by hydrogen or other sustainable fuels. At the same time, we will investigate  how we can integrate electrification and solar panels into airport design, so that we can power buildings,  vehicles and aircraft and thereby eventually completely phase out carbon emissions,” says Copenhagen  Airport CEO Thomas Woldbye. He is delighted that Copenhagen will become the focal point for the project. 

“Obviously, we’re very excited that the European Commission chose our project, and we welcome the  opportunity together with good partners to spearhead the process of developing concrete solutions and  concepts for the sustainable airport of the future,” he explains.  

Carbon emissions to be eliminated 

The ALIGHT project (a lighthouse for the introduction of sustainable aviation solutions for the future) aims to develop solutions to two overall challenges: One is about the process and logistics of handling sustainable aviation fuels in an operational context, including procurement, blending, fuelling, quality  controls and safety processes. The other issue concerns the development of smart energy solutions for other airport operations, including own production of sustainable energy as well as energy storage and  electrification. Another part of the project will be to develop the aircraft stand of the future, supporting  sustainable aircraft fuels such as electric power and hydrogen.  

Currently, the main barrier is that very few airports are prepared for the many new fuels, because their  infrastructure is designed exclusively for the fuels used today. 

Copenhagen Airport as lighthouse 

The entire development phase and the day-to-day work will be based at the lighthouse airport in  Copenhagen but will be closely monitored by the fellow airports in Rome and Lithuania and the  organisation building a whole new airport in Warsaw that is scheduled for completion in 2027. 

Accordingly, the ALIGHT project will first and foremost create solutions and contribute with know-how,  scope and guidelines for developing the sustainable airport of the future; initially in Copenhagen and later  when the results are replicated and applied elsewhere. In other words, the project will contribute to the  achievement of the climate targets of reducing emissions from aviation that national governments  committed to at the Paris Agreement, while at the same time creating a clear vision for sustainable airports  of the future. 

In this way, the project at CPH will become a source of inspiration to other airports, as they can benefit  from the knowledge being compiled over the coming years. The partners in the project will contribute with  self-financing of more than EUR 3 million, bringing the total value of the project to more than EUR 15  million.  

The project will also consider which green energy sources that will work in the complex infrastructure of an  airport, including its very high security requirements. Overall, the new project will provide new  perspectives that will be of interest not only to aviation but also to its other project partners: 

“Implementing green sustainable aircraft fuels, such as biofuels, hydrogen and electric power, and the  green transition of other airport operations will require access to the very best knowledge within a number  of professional disciplines. With the ALIGHT partnership, we’ve brought together a powerful and innovative  international team that’ll enable us to achieve the ambitious targets of the lighthouse project, and we’re  really looking forward to the pan European cooperation,” says Lars Overgaard, Business Manager with the  Danish Technological Institute, who headed up the application process.  

Sustainable inspiration for all of Europe  

As already mentioned, CPH will act as the lighthouse where to solutions are developed and subsequently  implemented. At the same time, replication of the project results will be prepared at the project partner  airports in Italy, Lithuania and Poland. Together with the airport in Copenhagen, they cover four  geographical areas and four different climate zones, supporting that the solutions can be designed adapted  to local conditions:  

“It is absolutely essential that the know-how being accumulated, and the solutions being developed as part  of the project can be transferred and replicated to other airports both during the project and after. The project is based on a large grant from the European Commission, why it makes fully sense that the results  we achieve at CPH can be used elsewhere. But most importantly, this is our way of helping the aviation  industry identify opportunities and strengthen the green transition,” says Woldbye. 

In its project definition, the European Commission emphasised that results and experience from CPH  lighthouse should be shared and replicated to other airports. In fact, we must all keep in mind that the  entire foundation for aviation in the future depends on sustainable transition:  

“In order to support optimal dissemination and exchange of knowledge and of the results achieved, the  project will i.e. develop a solid toolbox with best practice, guidelines and manuals. Here, the cooperation  with the other airports represented in the project will be absolutely central, as efficient replication requires  knowledge of the regional conditions,” Overgaard concludes. 

FACT BOX 

ALIGHT will run for four years from the project start-up date of 1 November 2020. 

Apart from CPH and the Danish Technological Institute, the following organisations are partners in the  project: 

The airports of Lithuania and Rome along with Solidarity Transport Hub Poland (CPK), which is in charge of  the new airport in Warsaw, Fuel Storage and Hydrant company Copenhagen Airport I/S, Scandinavian  Airlines System (SAS), Nordic Initiative for Sustainable Aviation (NISA), International Air Transport  Association (IATA), German Aerospace Center (DLR), AirBP, The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), Hybrid Greentech, BMGindroz Consulting, the University of Parma and Hamburg University of  Technology.  

The Horizon 2020 programme has existed since 2014 and expires at the end of 2020. Horizon 2020 has  allocated almost DKK 600 billion to various projects, of which DKK 7.5 billion is earmarked for sustainable  development.  

CONTACT 

Any questions regarding the press release can be asked to: 

CR- & Communication Advisor 

Kevin Arildtoft Moer 

Copenhagen Airports A/S 

+45 21 44 33 05 

kevin.arildtoft@cph.dk

The ideal applicant is a consortium of at least two consultants, where an Ethiopian consultant with experience in managing multi-stakeholder roadmap development leads the project supported with an international consultant with experience in SAF production and technologies.

Download the Terms of Reference for more details on the project and how to respond to this call.