
Avina Synthetic Aviation Fuel has reached an agreement with Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) to build an onsite sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facility.
Avina and PIT said they aim to develop the first on-airport SAF facility in the U.S. to provide fuel for aircraft using the airport. The facility could also potentially be used to provide SAF to off-site users.
New Jersey-based Avina said the facility will be developed “through multiple phases” and is “expected to produce over 100 million gallons of SAF annually to meet local and regional commercial and cargo needs at PIT and beyond.”
Avina will use PureSAF alcohol-to-jet fuel developed by Swedish Biofuels and licensed by U.S. technology and engineering firm KBR.
The Allegheny County Airport Authority, which runs PIT, has approved using 50 acres of airport land for the SAF production site. PIT noted the western Pennsylvania region where the airport is located has a “variety of plentiful feedstocks and a pipeline to the Ohio River to move SAF to different markets, all of which would make the fuel produced at the airport cost-competitive.”
PIT CEO Christina Cassotis said the facility could be operational by 2028.
“This facility will be a game-changer in the infrastructure and economic development for the Pittsburgh region and will present a unique opportunity for airline partners to secure SAF readily and cost-effectively to meet their ambitious decarbonization targets,” Avina said, citing PIT’s “commitment to resiliency and energy innovation initiatives for the aviation industry.”
PIT recently revealed plans to significantly expand its onsite solar array, which powers airport facilities. PIT in 2021 completed a 3-megawatt solar array comprising nearly 10,000 panels.
Hari Ravindran, KBR’s global SVP for technology, said PureSAF “is designed to allow the facility to deliver 100% drop-in fuel made from renewable feedstocks while meeting global specifications for sustainable jet fuel.”
Cassotis added the “partnership with Avina and KBR will result in on-site SAF production and fills a growing need for our airline partners and the industry overall.”
Construction cost for the facility was not revealed.