Geologically Balanced Fuels (GBFs) offer the aviation sector a flightpath to net zero. They complement existing strategies centred around efficiency improvements and technology switching, offset credits, and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blending. A GBF is a conventional aviation fuel whose carbon dioxide emissions are compensated for by an equivalent quantity of carbon dioxide (CO2) being captured and permanently stored in geological formations. The portion of the fuel’s emissions which are geologically sequestered is the ‘stored fraction’ – this fraction increases gradually over time as the market matures, reaching 100% (i.e. net zero) in mid-century. The details of this definition, feasibility of the approach and potential impact of a GBF market remain underexplored, despite offering a potential alternative to reliance on synthetic or biological SAFs, or on nature-based offset credits, which currently dominate most airlines’ decarbonisation strategies. There is an urgent need to develop the policies, reporting standards, and first-mover collaborations to support airlines and fuel suppliers to achieve durable net zero.
This paper was written by Stuart Jenkins (ONZ), Rabab Mehnaz (IATA), Tom Kettlety (ONZ), Emily Cox (ONZ) and Myles Allen (ONZ).
