Government cleaner fuels program

COMMENTS FROM QANTAS CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER FIONA MESSENT

“We welcome the Government’s announcement today regarding supply-side support for a low carbon liquid fuels industry and we look forward to continued collaboration with Government and industry as part of further consultation processes.

“A local Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry has the potential to create significant economic benefit for regional Australia, enhance our domestic fuel security and support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector.

“Qantas invests in a number of local SAF initiatives and projects, enabled by our $400 million Climate Fund, with this announcement another step toward establishing a thriving SAF industry in Australia and seizing Australia’s unique low carbon liquid fuels opportunity.”

Background:

• Australia does not currently have an established Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry.

• Qantas, via our $400 million climate fund, continues to invest in the growth of SAF production and uptake in Australia.

• We’ve committed more than $100 million so far, including towards:

  • A planned biofuel refinery in Townsville, Queensland, that would produce up to 100ML of SAF, and 10ML of renewable diesel.
  • An international fund that will invest in SAF technology and projects with an initial focus on opportunities that repurpose existing infrastructure e.g. a retired ethanol plant in Illinois that is being repurposed for SAF.
  • A planned biofuel facility on the old refinery site at Marsden Point New Zealand which would produce more than 300,000 tonnes of renewable fuels including SAF.

• Qantas already uplifts SAF from London Heathrow (LHR) and Los Angeles Airport (LAX) and recently signed an agreement to collect over 100 million litres of SAF from LAX over the next three years.

• In May, Qantas, Sydney Airport, Ampol and the Qantas SAF Coalition imported Australia’s largest ever delivery of SAF into Sydney.

• In 2023, Qantas and Airbus commissioned ICF to produce a report into the SAF opportunity in Australia.