SAF delivered through existing pipeline to New York

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Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has been delivered to New York’s LaGuardia Airport for the first time through existing petroleum pipeline systems.

The delivery was made through the Colonial and Buckeye systems. The low-emission jet fuel will be used to power a Delta Air Lines flight.

“SAF is the most effective tool we have to decarbonise our industry,” said Pamela Fletcher, Delta’s chief sustainability officer. “These efforts show how existing infrastructure can be used to transport SAF to East Coast airports and drive down emissions – a critical step as we move toward a more sustainable future for air travel.”

This partnership between Delta, Neste, Colonial Pipeline and Buckeye Partners shows that SAF can be delivered through existing infrastructure used for fossil-based jet fuel. 

The delivery and subsequent flight is supported by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the first US transportation agency to accept the Paris Climate Agreement.

Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton, said: “Increasing and accelerating the use of sustainable aviation fuel is a key strategic element if we are to decarbonise air travel, and the Port Authority is committed to supporting our airline partners in this transition. If we are to achieve a net-zero future, it is imperative that we collectively take action to enable a transition to SAF.”

Neste completed the final processing steps of its SAF at a Texas refinery that previously produced chemicals. The fuel was loaded into Colonial Pipeline and transported nearly 1,500 miles across 11 states to New Jersey before entering the Buckeye Pipeline and sent on to LaGuardia. 

Chris Cooper, Neste’s Vice President of Renewable Aviation in Americas said: “The U.S. East Coast is home to some of the USA’s busiest airports, and the vast majority of them get their fuel from the Colonial Pipeline system and, in New York, the Buckeye Pipeline system. What we’re doing here is showing that just around the corner is a future where passengers at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson up to LaGuardia, JFK and EWR can board a plane flying on SAF.”