Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) executive director, Brian Werner, was a moderator on a panel at the recent Sustainable Aviation Futures conference in Houston on Oct 3.

Titled, “Carbon Accounting, Lifecycle Analysis and Favored Feedstocks,” the panel featured Shawn Starkenburg, group leader for genomics and bioanalytics at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Stefan Unnasch, managing director at Life Cycle Associates and Susan Van Dyk, biofuels expert at SVD Consulting. 

Among the topics discussed included feedstocks available under the 40BSAF-GREET Model and the evaluation of different technologies to improve efficiencies in the conversion of established pathways for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) such as hydrotreated esters and fatty acids (HEFA) and Alcohol-To-Jet (ATJ).

The panel spoke about the different perspectives from fuel producers and airlines related to life cycle assessments (LCA) and carbon intensity, varying global LCA models and standards for feedstocks and how feedstock producers can innovate and find their own paths to carbon reduction.

Other topics discussed included concerns from renewable fuel producers and farmers on bundling climate smart agricultural practices like cover crops, no-till or reduced tillage, and enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizer to qualify for feedstock carbon intensity (CI) reductions under the 40BSAF-GREET Model.