SAFiji: Fiji Sugar, Fiji Air, ADB and LEC launch study of the how and when of South Pacific SAF

News arrives from Fiji today, so a hearty Bula to everyone. 

I first visited the islands in 1974 as a young boy, and have wandered the low hills and the sugarcane fields from time to time, since. This hard-working people are challenged by changijng times, yet good news is in the offing.

Fiji Airways, Fiji Sugar Corporation Limited and Lee Enterprises Consulting have commenced an evaluation of sustainable aviation fuel production in Fiji. This initiative has the potential to support sustainable aviation and agriculture in the Pacific region, as well as to create new economic opportunities for local farmers and communities in Fiji. It’s funded by the Asian Development Bank.

The project

It’s about feasibility — establishing a comprehensive SAF production and utilization model in Fiji that leverages sugar cane and its waste products as inputs to ethanol production and additional sources of energy, which can subsequently be processed into SAF.  The study will evaluate molasses, sugar, bagasse, and biomass as potential feedstocks for SAF production.

The team

Lee Enterprises Consulting, long well-recognized in the advanced bioeconomy, in these pages and elsewhere, for their insight into all aspects of the bioeconomy supply-chain and value-chain. LEC will evaluate multiple technical pathways and technologies to enable alcohol-to-jet production. More on LEC here.

Fiji Sugar is the largest sugar milling company in the South Pacific region and a significant contributor to the Fijian economy, who produces sugar cane-based feedstocks, a renewable and sustainable source of biomass, which can be used as the primary feedstock source for SAF production. More on Fiji Sugar here.

Fiji Airways, the national carrier, committed to reducing its carbon footprint and setting a precedent for other airlines in the region to transition from fossil fuels to sustainable aviation fuel. More on Fiji Airways here.

ADB, as the coordinating body, will oversee the project’s implementation, ensuring that all activities align with international sustainability standards and contribute to regional development goals. ADB will also provide funding support and facilitate knowledge exchange amongst the partners. More on ADB here.

The Fiji backstory

Late last year we first reported on Fiji’s ambitions in SAF, here, and the first Fiji Air demonstration flight, here. Prior to that, we reported on the ambition in Fiji to move into ethanol via a Rakiraki project about 130 click northwest of Nadi, here. . The country has been aiming at a project for some time as an econiomic development project, and set up a tax holiday in support of that, here.  And Fiji Sugar has been at it a long while, having set aside $37 million ten years ago towards a project, about that here. Yes, economic development, but also they are looking to stem a farmer exodus that ultimately threatens food security, more about that here.  So the country set targets and eyed a mandate as far back as 2011, as we reported back then here.

ADB is new to this work in Fiji but has been active elsewhere. More on their efforts in India here.  Japan, here.  And their green bond fundraising efforts were in focus in our report, here.

Reaction from the Stakeholders

LEC’s CEO Jason White stated: “This collaboration is a testament to the power of partnerships in addressing global challenges such as climate change. By bringing together industry leaders and local stakeholders, we are not only advancing the production and use of sustainable aviation fuel but also promoting economic resilience and environmental stewardship in the Pacific. LEC has brought together a world-class team of bioenergy industry experts for this project and we are excited to deliver the economic and technical feasibility roadmap for how this important sustainability capability can be realized.”

Fiji Airways Chief Legal and Sustainability Officer, Peter Seares, said: “This is a landmark project for Fiji and the South Pacific Region.  The feasibility assessment will lay a foundation for Fiji’s national airline to meet its sustainability goals while utilizing local resources that will help to reinvigorate and transform the domestic sugar industry, create new jobs, and improve the lives of Fijians.”