Chile will promote the development of clean fuels for aviation

Statement from the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications of Chile

This is an automated translation of the press release issued in Spanish

The Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications through the Civil Aeronautical Board ( JAC ) and in conjunction with the Energy Sustainability Agency of the Ministry of Energy , formalized the incorporation of the Catholic University of the Santísima Concepción (UCSC) to the Clean Flight program, initiative national and voluntary participation that seeks to promote collaboration between various actors, both from the public and private sectors, to promote energy sustainability in commercial aviation.

In this regard, the head of the MTT, Juan Carlos Muñoz, stated that "as part of the promoters of this program through the JAC, we want to highlight the incorporation of the academy to this initiative, where the Catholic University of the Santísima Concepción will be the the first university in the country to start tests for the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), with which we will take an important step to contribute to the decarbonization of the aviation industry by 2050”.

UCSC has developed various investigations in the areas of alternative fuels based on various raw materials such as biomass and residual oils, work carried out at its facilities where they have state-of-the-art technology to carry out the required tests.

“Adding the academy to the Clean Flight program undoubtedly allows us to move more firmly in the development of sustainable fuels for aviation, a type of fuel that is already applied in other parts of the world. In Chile we know that we have a long way to go, but the important thing is that we have already begun the path to make them a reality” added the Executive Secretary of the JAC, Martín Mackenna.

Meanwhile, from the Ministry of Energy, the Seremi del Biobío, Daniela Espinoza, highlighted that "our roadmap as a ministry is the 2022-2026 Energy Agenda, through which we have proposed to transition from an economy based on fuels fossil fuels towards a sustainable economy based on efficient transportation, therefore, we are comforted that the Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción is the first regional university to participate in this initiative, which will allow us to achieve the decarbonization commitments we have as a country."

The interest of the university in advancing in this matter and the collaborative role of the Clean Flight program have allowed the generation of the link that will allow for joint research and projects to advance in the development of SAF in Chile and generate the necessary inputs to produce these fuels. locally.

Meanwhile, at the Energy Sustainability Agency, its executive deputy director Cristina Victoriano, explained that "Clean Flight is an initiative that is built thanks to the effort and commitment of various institutions, making available technical capabilities and the dedication of valuable professionals with the vision of contribute to the decarbonization of the aeronautical industry And, in this sense, the adhesion today of a highly prestigious academic institution such as UCSC, also putting itself at the service of this initiative, has additional value since it is one more step to gradually deploy this program in the regions of the country, starting with the Biobío Region".

For his part, the rector of UCSC, Dr. Cristhian Mellado, expressed that “we are happy to be the first university to adhere to this program. In the 33 years that we have completed as an Institution, we have reached a maturity that allows us to have advanced human capital that makes all its knowledge available to the country's challenges, related to having a carbon-neutral energy matrix by 2050. In this sense, our academics have made available to these challenges and the lines of research are being oriented to be able to develop renewable energies, such as green hydrogen, to which is added this adhesion to Clean Flight, which will be able to help, based on the analysis that the academy make the production of synthetic fuels, to reduce the carbon footprint.”

SAF, unlike conventional fossil fuel, are produced using different renewable raw materials such as biomass, waste or hydrogen, and have the quality of generating a lower carbon footprint throughout their life cycle, that is, from gross extraction of the raw material until its use in aircraft.