Delta
Air Lines, Chevron USA and Google are to track sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
test batch emissions data using cloud-based technology, the companies have
announced.
The
companies hope to “create a common, more transparent model for analysing
potential greenhouse gas emissions reductions that could then be adopted by
organisations considering SAF programmes”.
Chevron
will produce a test batch of SAF at its El Segundo
Refinery for Delta flights operating from Los Angeles International Airport. In parallel, Google Cloud will build a data and analytics framework to securely ingest and analyse emissions data relating to the batch.
“As aviation continues to define a more sustainable future,
understanding the environmental impacts of our operations will be paramount as
we look to mitigate climate change,” said Amelia DeLuca, Delta’s managing
director of sustainability.
“On top of being the first carbon neutral airline
on a global basis, we’ve pledged to replace 10 per cent of our jet fuel with SAF
by 2030. This partnership has the potential to help us achieve that goal while
providing important data and analytics that demonstrate the environmental
integrity of our commitment.”
Andy Walz, president of Americas fuels & lubricants at Chevron,
said, “The data sharing and transparency component of this partnership
will help us better understand the emissions from sustainable aviation fuel
production and delivery, supporting our goal to advance lower carbon fuels.”
“Google Cloud has a history of pioneering emissions reduction
technologies and we’re looking forward to exploring the use of data and
analytics capabilities to advance renewable fuel understanding and adoption,”
said Larry Cochrane, director, global energy solutions, Google Cloud.