Left to right: Clear Sky founding partner Krishnan Narayanan, Boeing sustainability chief Brian Moran, Firefly CEO James Hygate.
Boeing has formed a consortium with sustainable aviation financier Clear Sky and detailed plans to support sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) developer Firefly Green Fuels.
In a double announcement at Farnborough Tuesday, Boeing chief sustainability officer Brian Moran announced a new partnership with investment company Clear Sky, which launched earlier this year. Clean Sky is focussed on financing aviation’s net zero transition.
Boeing and Clear Sky will support sustainable aviation ventures, including SAF, alternative propulsion, carbon removal, advanced materials, recycling, as well as adjacent areas like chemicals and materials.
The companies named UK-based Firefly as the first beneficiary of their partnership. Firefly plans to create a UK refinery that will transform sewage waste into SAF, which will have a 90% lower lifecycle carbon footprint than fossil fuel-based kerosene.
“This can be done everywhere. Wherever there are people, there’s feedstock. You can’t turn the taps off on this one. Everyone everywhere can play a part in decarbonizing aviation, so thank you all for your contributions,” Firefly CEO James Hygate said.
Boeing and Clear Sky will help Firefly capitalize the roll-out of its technology, supporting the development of the company’s first facility in the UK and its international expansion. Hygate said he was aiming for commercial production in the UK by 2029.
“The Clear Sky-led consortium of investors and strategic partners, including Boeing, will invest in Firefly’s new technology, subject to final diligence. Boeing will provide training, direction and facilitation on testing that will accelerate the qualification of this new route to SAF,” the partners said.
Specifically, Clear Sky will help Firefly with an initial fundraising round over the next few months, followed by further rounds, paving the way for commercialization. Boeing will give access to research, testing labs and access to its corporate network, including airlines.
The UK is finalizing a mandate for a 10% SAF aviation supply by 2030. This equates to roughly 1.2 million tonnes of SAF, increasing to 7 million tonnes by 2050. Boeing and Clear Sky believe there is sufficient sewage waste for Firefly to provide “a significant proportion” of this requirement.
Clear Sky founding partner Krishnan Narayanan said his company had “done quite a lot already” with Boeing, and further announcements are planned in future.
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