Sustainability and Environment
Fuel Crisis Raises the Stakes in Chase for Alternatives
Companies working with SAF and hydrogen propulsion see tipping point opportunity
OXCCU sustainable aviation fuel production
UK start-up OXCCU has developed a method to convert blends of carbon dioxide and/or carbon monoxide and hydrogen sourced from waste biomass and carbon into sustainable aviation fuel.

The chronic shortage of jet fuel caused by the ongoing wartime closure of the Strait of Hormuz has exposed the air transport sector’s vulnerability to geopolitics. At the same time, the industry is supposed to be focused on meeting its net zero decarbonization commitments—a confluence that raises questions around how to reconcile short-term imperatives with longer-term objectives.

Some companies developing new approaches to fuel supply and aircraft propulsion see the current crisis as a potential tipping point that could provide fresh impetus for their work. At the same time, they acknowledge that the urgent need to secure fossil fuels immediately could cause a loss of focus on the long-term ambition for alternative fuels.