Boeing to establish R&D facility in Japan

The Boeing logo is seen on the side of a Boeing 737 MAX at the Farnborough International Airshow, in Farnborough, Britain, July 20, 2022. File photo/REUTERS/Peter Cziborra

TOKYO  – Boeing Co said on Monday it plans to establish a research and development (R&D) facility in Japan to further development in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and to advance electric and hydrogen aircraft technology.

The facility will also focus on robotics, digitalization, automation and carbon fiber composite materials for the aviation industry, the U.S. aircraft manufacturer said in a news release.

The global airline industry’s target of net zero emissions by 2050 is heavily reliant on its ability to produce more SAF, though electric and hydrogen-powered planes could play a smaller part in emissions reductions.

The industry requires huge investment in SAF, which uses feedstock such as animal fat and cooking oil and which is currently in short supply and far more expensive than conventional jet fuel.

The industry aims for SAF production to account for 65 percent of fuel needs by 2050, up from less than 0.5 percent in 2021.

Japan lacks SAF production at present, though local airline operators ANA Holdings Inc and Japan Airlines Co Ltd have both committed to using SAF to meet 10 percent of their fuel needs by 2030 in line with a government target.

In April, French oil and gas company TotalEnergies SE and Japanese peer ENEOS Holdings Inc announced a feasibility study to assess production of SAF at ENEOS’s Negishi refinery in the eastern Japanese city of Yokohama. It could potentially begin production in 2025, targeting capacity of 300,000 tons a year.

Boeing has committed to its planes being certified to fly on 100-percent SAF by 2030.