White Desert, a luxury tourism company, is set to launch flights using jet fuel partially derived from leftover cooking oil. The initiative, in collaboration with Sasol, a South African energy and chemicals company, aims to offer a unique travel experience to one of the world's most remote locations.
Passengers embarking on this extraordinary journey will pay between $16,500 and $120,000, depending on the tour package. This venture is part of a growing trend in luxury tourism, which has seen an increase in visitors to Antarctica, a continent home to more penguins than people. Traditionally, the region hosts about 1,000 people in the winter and 5,000 in the summer, primarily scientists and researchers.
Travelers can reach Antarctica by flying into Buenos Aires, Argentina, or Santiago, Chile, before taking a domestic flight to Ushuaia or Punta Arenas. From Ushuaia, a 48-hour ship journey across the Drake Passage leads to the Antarctic Peninsula. Alternatively, a two-hour charter flight from Punta Arenas to King George Island offers a quicker route, bypassing the ocean crossing.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Initiative
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is not new to the airline industry, but it marks a significant step for Sasol. The company's first flight using this South Africa-made fuel is expected to depart soon on an Airbus A340-600. White Desert has been sourcing SAF from Europe since 2021 but is now transitioning to Sasol after the latter secured international sustainability certification for its fuel produced at the Natref refinery in Sasolburg.
Natref, South Africa's only inland crude-oil refinery, has the capacity to process approximately 108,500 barrels daily. Sasol's SAF is produced by processing renewable materials, including used cooking and vegetable oils, alongside conventional feedstock. This blend can be used in existing aircraft without the need for engine replacements or new airport fueling systems.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) reports that over 360,000 commercial flights have utilized SAF at 46 airports, primarily in the United States and Europe. Companies like World Energy and Neste supply these lower-emission fuels to major airlines such as United, KLM, and Delta. Legally, commercial flights can use a blend of up to 50% SAF mixed with traditional fossil-based jet fuel.
SAF is chemically similar to standard jet kerosene, allowing it to work in existing aircraft engines and airport fueling infrastructure without retrofitting. Despite its environmental advantages, SAF accounts for only a small percentage of global commercial jet fuel use due to its higher production costs. Creating SAF from renewable waste, fats, and oils is more expensive than refining conventional crude oil.
While SAF reduces emissions compared to conventional jet fuel, aircraft using it still produce emissions. The environmental benefit lies in utilizing renewable waste instead of extracting additional crude oil. The airline industry aims to increase SAF usage to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The European Union is leading in this effort, enforcing strict blending mandates. Starting with a minimum of 2% in 2025, the EU plans to scale up to 70% by 2050, with 35% coming from synthetic electro-fuels, or e-fuels. These synthetic fuels do not add new carbon dioxide to the carbon cycle, as they are made by extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which serves as a building block for the fuel.
