HIGHLIGHTS
- The biofilter, which is expected to be finished by 2026, could produce 180,000 barrels of biofuels (2.6 billion gallons per year), including sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and biodiesel.
- When compared to traditional petroleum-based jet fuel, SAF creates much fewer pollutants because it uses raw materials such as soybean oil, discarded cooking oil, and animal fat, but the cost of manufacture is greater.
FULL ARTICLE
The move comes as big energy corporations and multinationals struggle to produce low-carbon jet fuel in order to reduce emissions. With the aviation industry aiming for zero net emissions by 2050, governments are also asking energy corporations to increase their investments in clean energy.
Panama’s Biological Filter Factory
With international governments and institutions increasing pressure, Panama and the world’s major energy companies are hatching plans to build an advanced biofilter plant to create low-carbon aircraft fuel. This project is a collaboration between the Panamanian government and a number of companies dedicated to the development of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), such as SGP BioEnergy, World Energy, and others.
The biofilter will be built in Panama, which is a major energy transit point thanks to the Panama Canal and the Trans-Panama Pipeline. The biofilter, which is expected to be finished by 2026, could produce 180,000 barrels of biofuels (2.6 billion gallons per year), including sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and biodiesel.
According to Randy Letang, CEO of SGP BioEnergy, the new biofilter would repurpose existing fuel oil storage tanks near Colon and Balboa on Panama’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
In addition, the biofilter makes use of Panama’s existing export infrastructure to enhance the worldwide supply of SAF and biodiesel. Notably, SAF will be produced using roughly half of the biofilter’s capacity.
According to an IATA report, SAF production will have to increase by an estimated 8 billion liters (211 million gallons) in 2025 to over 450 billion liters (119 billion gallons) by 2050.
Why did the biofilter opt for SAF production?
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is an energy source that may be used in current aircraft engines without the requirement for new replacement aircraft. Furthermore, until enough SAF is generated to allow for zero-emission flights, it can be blended with conventional jet fuel to minimize emissions.
Furthermore, when compared to traditional petroleum-based jet fuel, SAF creates much fewer pollutants because it uses raw materials such as soybean oil, discarded cooking oil, and animal fat, but the cost of manufacture is greater.
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