All Nippon Flight Uses New ASTM Standard Algal Fuel

All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest airline for eight consecutive years, has announced that they operated a regularly scheduled commercial domestic flight on June 17, 2021 utilizing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from microalgae blended with traditional jet fuel. It was the first flight in the world to use SAF certified to meet ASTM D7566 Annex71 jet fuel specifications.

ASTM D7566 Annex71 is the standard for alternative jet fuel for aviation defined by ASTM International (formerly American Society for Testing and Materials). Annex7 defines a liquid hydrocarbon fuel obtained by hydrogenating crude oil (mainly hydrocarbon) extracted from the microalga Botryococcus braunii. IHI independently applied for the standard to ASTM and it was approved in May 2020.

ANA flight #NH31 was a Boeing 787-8 on route from Tokyo Haneda to Osaka Itami. The flight was achieved in partnership with the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) — a prominent Japanese public research and development body — that produces integrated production technology for SAF, with Japan’s IHI Corporation supplying the fuel used on the ANA flight.

The Civil Aviation Bureau; Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; Agency for Natural Resources and Energy; and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Resources have led the initiative to establish and promote supply chains for SAF, bringing together related parties in the NEDO project.

Under the ANA Future Promise initiative, ANA is committed to playing its part toward a sustainable future. By working with partners, ANA will continue engaging in development and transition to sustainable aviation fuel.