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RAAF Base East Sale has begun a 12-month pilot program to use Sustainable Aviation Fuels.
While few specific details of the plan have been revealed, Defence said it was enabled through a partnership with Viva Energy Australia and UGL Limited.
It comes after Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy announced in October that Australia’s military would target achieving net zero emissions by 2050 by transitioning to alternative fuel sources and introducing renewable electricity.
Sustainable aviation fuels, or SAFs, are made from a variety of renewable feedstocks, including vegetable oils, animal fats, and waste materials. They can currently be blended with traditional fuels to lower carbon emissions.
Commander Joint Logistics, Major General Carla Watts, said the pilot program highlights the critical importance of a secure fuel supply for the ADF.
“Domestic SAF production will bolster resilience in Australia’s liquid fuels sector and play a crucial role in the feasibility of incorporating SAF into the Defence supply chains,” she said.
RAAF Base East Sale, located 220km southeast of Melbourne, currently supports 700 personnel and is best known as the major hub for training and operations for air traffic controllers and aircrew.
The base is also home to No 32 Squadron and the Roulettes aerobatic display team.
Defence’s move into sustainability comes as countries and airlines continue to invest in producing more sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) for commercial carriers.
In August, for example, the owner of Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport said it would create Australia’s first fully integrated SAF production facility in Brisbane.
The project, in partnership with Boeing, has secured $760,000 in Queensland government funding and aims to start construction in 2026.
It will use LanzaJet’s Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technology to create ethanol-based fuel, with the expectation of 102 million litres of SAF per year.
Similarly, rival Airbus is working with Qantas on the “Project Ulysses” SAF plant in northern Queensland and has previously called for a SAF blending mandate similar to those in jurisdictions such as the UK, the US, Europe, and Japan.
Finally, Australian Aviation also reported last month how Lockheed Martin has given its F-35s the go-ahead to operate with sustainable fuels blended up to 50 per cent with conventional fuels.
Synthetic aviation turbine fuels (SATF) are derived from a range of raw materials, such as those from fossil-based sources, as well as renewable and sustainable sources like waste oils, agricultural residues and other non-fossil-based materials.
