The U.S. Department of Energy has released a request for information (RFI) to better understand the challenges facing critical elements within sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supply chains. Specifically, this RFI (DE-FOA-0003157) seeks input from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders to identify opportunities to enable the rapid development of effective supply chains capable of meeting future SAF demand.

While the commercial aviation sector is an important contributor to the U.S. economy, it’s also a significant source (approximately 2 percent) of domestic greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge—launched in 2021 by DOE, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture—is to spur the production of at least 3 billion gallons of domestic SAF per year by the year 2030, and sufficient SAF to meet 100 percent of aviation fuel demand by 2050.

The SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap provides an outline of actions by U.S. government agencies to support stakeholders in realizing the challenge goals. This RFI seeks input from relevant stakeholders on the roadmap’s SAF supply chains action area, which encompasses:

• feedstock production, collection, and distribution to SAF production facilities;
• conversion of feedstock to fuel; and
• transport of finished fuel to the infrastructure required to fuel aircraft.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically as a Microsoft Word document (.docx) attachment to SAFSupplyChainRFI@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on Nov. 2, 2023.  For more information on the RFI, view the full solicitation on Grants.gov.   

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only and will not lead to a specific Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) will not pay for information provided under this RFI and no project will be supported as a result of this RFI. This RFI is not accepting applications for financial assistance or financial incentives.