TOKYO — Airbus, Japan Airlines, Nippon Paper Industries, Sumitomo Corporation, and Green Earth Institute signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using bioethanol derived from domestic wood.

The collaboration stems from the MORISORA Project initiated In February 2023 by Nippon Paper, Sumitomo Corporation, and Green Earth Institute. Last month an agreement was signed to establish a joint venture to manufacture and sell bioethanol made from wood biomass. Airbus and JAL have subsequently joined the project and will promote the use and expansion of domestic SAF by collaborating with businesses involved in the supply and demand of SAF.

Plans call for the five companies to work toward enabling a low-carbon society by reducing greenhouse gas emissions during raw material procurement and production, and by producing and selling domestic wood-based bioethanol that has a low life cycle analysis and is compliant with CORSIA (※2). This will be achieved through the developing society's circular economy of "cutting, using, planting, and growing" trees, regional revitalization including job creation, and the utilization of domestic SAF.

JAL aims to promote domestically produced SAF and has set a goal of replacing 10% of all onboard fuel with SAF by 2030. By connecting the SAF suppliers with stakeholders involved in production, JAL will advance the construction of a supply chain. Airbus will support the work to obtain the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation certification for the domestic woody biomass of this project and contribute to the industry target to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The five companies have pledged to mutually leverage their strengths to produce and promote domestic SAF made from bioethanol using domestic wood, aiming to create a decarbonized society and revitalize local communities through resource circulation and work towards a sustainable future.