中国石化新闻网讯 据管道&天然气杂志网2月21日报道，美国联合航空公司(United Airlines)推出了一项超过1亿美元的投资基金，以支持专注于研究和生产可持续航空燃料(SAF)的初创企业。
该公司表示，这家总部位于芝加哥的航空公司与加拿大航空、波音、通用电气、摩根大通和霍尼韦尔等创始合作伙伴共同投资了联合航空风险投资可持续飞行基金。
美联航表示，该基金对各行各业的公司开放投资，并将优先投资于新技术和“成熟”生产商。
全球航空业面临减少碳排放的压力，并寻求实现国际航空运输协会（IATA）2021设定的2050年零排放目标的方法。
二氧化碳排放量约占全球二氧化碳排放量2%的该行业，在实现这一目标方面面临巨大挑战，因为电动和氢动力飞机等技术尚未得到验证。
全球航空公司和航空制造商都在押注SAF。SAF由食用油和动物粪便等原料少量生产，其成本是传统航空燃料的2至5倍。
美联航首席可持续发展官劳伦·赖利表示，该投资基金旨在扩大SAF的供应。她表示，该公司将出资不超过该基金价值的49%。
美联航已承诺到2035年将碳排放强度比2019年降低50%。
自2016年以来，该公司已经购买了近800万加仑的SAF。然而，截至去年12月，该公司在运营中使用的SAF总量仍不到其航空燃油总使用量的0.1%。
郝芬 译自 管道&天然气杂志网
原文如下：
United Airlines launches $100-MM SAF investment fund
United Airlines launched a more than $100 MM investment fund to support start-ups focused>The Chicago-based carrier along with inaugural partners such as Air Canada, Boeing, General Electric JPMorgan Chase and Honeywell have invested in the United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund, it said.
United said the fund was open to investment by companies across industries and would prioritize investment in new technology and "proven" producers.
The global aviation industry is under pressure to reduce carbon emissions and find ways to meet the 2050 net-zero emissions target set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 2021.
The industry, which contributes about 2% of global carbon dioxide emissions, faces formidable challenges in reaching that goal as technologies such as electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft are still unproven.
Global airlines and aerospace manufacturers are betting>United's Chief Sustainability Officer Lauren Riley said the investment fund was aimed at scaling up the supply of SAF. The company would contribute up to 49% of the fund's value, she said.
United has pledged to reduce its carbon intensity by 50% by 2035 versus 2019.
It has purchased nearly 8 million gallons of SAF since 2016. However, as of last December, the total volume of SAF used in its operations remained less than 0.1% of its total aviation fuel usage.