In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Zia Abdullah, a program manager at the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Abdullah and Hayes discuss what sustainable aviation fuels are made of, how they are refined and manufactured, and how they compare to traditional jet fuel. Abdullah also discusses the challenges in store for the United States in reaching the federal government’s sustainable aviation fuel production goals for 2030.

References and recommendations:

“Climate Friendly Jet Fuel: 3 Strategies for Accelerating its Production” by Zia Abdullah; https://www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/articles/climate-friendly-jet-fuel-3-strategies-accelerating-its-production

“The economic outlook for converting CO₂ and electrons to molecules” by Zhe Huang, R. Gary Grim, Joshua A. Schaidle, and Ling Tao; https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2021/ee/d0ee03525d

Sustainable Aviation Fuels, with Zia Abdullah

Resources Radio is a weekly podcast by Resources for the Future. Each week we talk to leading experts about climate change, electricity, ecosystems, and more, making the latest research accessible to everyone.