Industry Embraer and Pratt & Whitney collaborate on SAF program

The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pratt & Whitney to collaborate on studies that seek to develop 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This collaboration underlines both companies’ ambitions to bring forward new and sustainable aviation solutions for the future of aviation.

Over the course of this partnership, the respective teams from the companies will work together to develop an integrated flight and ground test plan for the GTF-powered Embraer E195-E2 aircraft using 100% SAF.

Embraer and Pratt & Whitney are leading companies in supporting the aviation industry´s ambition to reach the goal of net zero CO2 emissions for air travel operations by 2050. With SAF, flights can be decarbonized by reducing the dependence of fossil-based fuels.

Arjan Meijer, President and CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation, said: “We are committed to continually enhancing the efficiency and performance of our products, and by further extending their compatibility with SAF, we will enable our customers to operate as sustainably as possible […] Embraer has a recognized track record of innovation in sustainable fuels, which includes the industry's first certified ethanol-powered aircraft in 2004, and collaboration is an essential pre-requisite for our industry to achieve our environmental goals. We are delighted to partner with Pratt & Whitney towards this critical task of enabling aircraft operation with 100% SAF.”

SAF is won from renewable feedstocks like cooking oil or other solid waste. The fuel could reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions by up to 80% relative to normal fuels. Embraer stated, that today, the standards set by ATSM International allow operators to fly with 50% SAF and 50% normal kerosene.

Graham Webb, Chief Sustainability Officer at Pratt & Whitney, said: “Pratt & Whitney has been active in SAF testing and certification for almost two decades. We will strategically continue to support 100% SAF flight tests for key customers that expand SAF uptake, including partnering with Embraer to test the E-Jets E2 aircraft on 100% SAF as part of their 2050 net zero emissions target,”

Embraer´s E195-E2 is one of the most advanced aircraft in the industry. The aircraft is powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines that offer a 24% improvement of fuel efficiency compared to previous generation aircraft.