Initiative Towards sustAinable Kerosene for Aviation (ITAKA) is a collaborative project framed in the implementation of the European Union policies, implementation of European Industrial Bioenergy Initiative (EIBI) and specifically aims to contribute to the fulfilment of some of the short-term (2015) EU Flight Path objectives.
The ITAKA project is expected to support the development of aviation biofuels in an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable manner, improving the readiness of existing technology and infrastructures. This will be achieved through a first of its kind collaborative project in the EU, which has started the development of a full value-chain in Europe to produce sustainable drop-in Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids at large scale
The value chain will be fully demonstrated by testing the use of the biojet fuel produced in existing logistic systems and in normal flight operations in the EU. ITAKA is linking supply and demand by establishing a relationship under specific conditions between feedstock grower, biofuel producer, distributor and final user (airlines), encompassing the entire supply chain.
ITAKA will link supply and demand by establishing a relationship under guaranteed conditions between feedstock grower, biofuel producer, distributor and airlines. Therefore, ITAKA will address challenges in two main areas:
Development of commercial scale production and study implications of large-scale use.
Research on sustainability, economic competitiveness and technology readiness.
The overall objective of ITAKA in the field of Research and Innovation is to produce sustainable Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (SPK) at large scale in order to allow testing its use in existing logistic systems and in normal flight operations in Europe. The generated knowledge will aim to identify and address barriers to innovation and commercial deployment.
Sustainability, competitiveness and technology assessments have been initiated, studying economic, social and regulatory implications of large-scale use. The bio fuel sustainability will be assessed against the RSB EU RED Standard. First results point to GHG emissions savings of over 60% in the camelina oil pathway. The generated knowledge will aim to identify and address barriers to innovation and commercial deployment. During the first half of the project the partners have identified several barriers and constraints and are working together to implement efficient solutions. ITAKA targets camelina oil as the best possible sustainable feedstock that can be produced timely at enough quantity within Europe.
Beyond these technological and research objectives, ITAKA is also willing to contribute to the achievement of a further EU objective: the need to coordinate efforts and complementarities among European initiatives on sustainable aviation fuels, as highlighted during the Flight Path definition and identified in SWAFEA recommendations: “Setting up a knowledge and test capability network within the EU to provide an EU based fuel evaluation capability”. ITAKA has been built aiming to engage key stakeholders and to make a first significant step in the establishment of such a European network. Currently ITAKA is connected and collaborating with the main biojet fuel initiatives in Europe and worldwide.