United Airlines has renewed its contract with Boston-based World Energy, agreeing to purchase up to 10 million gallons of cost-competitive, commercial-scale, sustainable aviation biofuel over the next two years. The fuel, which United currently uses to help sustainably power every flight departing its Los Angeles hub, achieves a greater than 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on a lifecycle basis.
This follows the airline's original purchase agreement in 2013, helping United make history in 2016 when it became the first airline in the world to use sustainable aviation biofuel on a continuous basis. United is currently the only US airline to use biofuel in its regular operations. World Energy's biofuel is made from agricultural waste and has received sustainability certification from the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials.
World Energy recently announced that it will invest $350 million to fully convert its Paramount, California, facility to renewable diesel and sustainable aviation jet fuel, bringing its total capacity to more than 300 million gallons of production annually at that location, one of the company's six low-carbon fuel manufacturing plants.
This will further assist the airline in achieving its recently announced commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050.
