Boeing: Why e-Fuels Matter Beyond Emissions Reduction

For years, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) was seen solely as a climate solution. Today, the conversation is becoming broader. Across aviation, industry and governments, SAF is increasingly seen not only as a pathway to reduce aviation’s emissions, but also as part of a more independent and diversified energy system. For Boeing, that shift is clear.

“We’re at this really interesting moment where people are recognizing the criticality of aviation fuel to the functioning of society and the importance of ensuring we have a resilient energy system,” says Steven Gillard, Regional Sustainability Director for Europe and Middle East, Turkiye, Africa and Central Asia at Boeing.

As aviation continues to grow globally, the civil industry remains committed to its 2050 net zero goal. According to Boeing, alternative fuels including SAF could play a central role in progressing towards this ambition.

Why E-Fuels Are Critical

Aviation’s decarbonization pathway has long focused on a combination of measures: more efficient aircraft, operational improvements, investments in advanced technologies and alternative fuels. Across the industry, SAF is expected to play a significant role in reducing emissions in the coming decades. Synthetic fuels such as e-SAF or e-Fuels produced from green hydrogen and CO₂ are seen as an important part of the solution.

“Producing fuel from local, sustainable sources is key. In some parts of the world, e-SAF will be critical as we get into the 2030s,” Gillard says.

The debate so far has largely centered around scaling production, technology readiness and feedstock availability. While bio-based SAF will continue to grow, many industry models expect supply limitations over time, increasing the relevance of power-to-liquid (PtL) fuels produced from fossil-free electricity, water and captured CO₂. The Nordics are among the most promising regions to scale this technology thanks to strong renewable energy resources and industrial conditions.

Energy Security Is Becoming Part of the SAF Conversation

At the same time, the role of SAF, and especially e-SAF, is evolving beyond emissions reduction alone. According to Gillard, aviation fuel security has become an increasingly important strategic issue for commercial aviation, economies and defense alike.

The global reach of aviation has grown significantly over the past decades. In the early 1980s, fewer than 7,000 commercial aircraft were operating around the world. Today, that number exceeds 30,000, and is expected to be roughly 49,000 by 2045. By 2043, air travel could carry more than 10 billion passengers annually, support 135.4 million jobs and generate $8.5 trillion in economic activity¹. These numbers reflect how deeply aviation has become embedded in global economies and supply chains.

“When aviation is affected, it has bigger macroeconomic implications,” Gillard says. “Our supply chains, our economies, our societies are all configured around aviation.”

At the same time, Europe’s current fuel system faces several growing pressures. Refining capacity has roughly halved since the 1980s, while demand continues to increase. Existing infrastructure is concentrated in fewer locations, creating vulnerabilities around imports, climate impacts and geopolitical instability.

Gillard also points to another growing challenge: external supply shocks. Looking back over the past decades, disruptions to global energy systems have repeatedly impacted fuel availability and pricing and the frequency of these shocks has increased over the last ten years. Against this backdrop, diversification becomes increasingly important.

“If you could have dispersal of assets, more assets, decentralization, it reduces volatility and increases security of supply,” Gillard says.

Boeing is currently working together with Norsk e-Fuel and Norwegian defense stakeholders to explore the role domestic e-Fuel production could play in strengthening energy security and fuel availability in the region.

“It’s great to have the Norwegian Ministry of Defense recognize the importance of this issue,” Gillard says. “We’re able to work together to support both commercial and defense needs.”

Crisis Can Accelerate Innovation

While geopolitical tensions and energy challenges dominate many headlines today, Gillard sees reasons for optimism. Historically, periods of disruption have often accelerated technological progress and energy innovation.

“Pretty much any energy challenge that we’ve had throughout history has normally spurred innovation and development,” he says.

From solar energy to wind power and fuel-efficient technologies, many major energy transitions gained momentum in response to supply-side pressures and external shocks. For Gillard, the current moment could become another turning point for aviation fuel development.

Building the Future Together

That long-term perspective is also what shaped Boeing’s partnership with Norsk e-Fuel.

The two companies have been working together to advance e-Fuel projects in the Nordics. Boeing already joined Norsk e-Fuel in early 2025 as a key project development and off-take partner. The companies plan to build a robust SAF ecosystem and to increase availability and accessibility of e-SAF through commercialization. Achieving long-term competitiveness of regional e-Fuel production will then also support to achieve the SAF quotas set by the EU which include a sub-mandate of 1.2% of e-Fuels in 2030 increasing to 35% in 2050.

“What really intrigued us about Norsk e-Fuel is its technical ambition and openness to collaboration,” Gillard says. “There was a very serious focus on project development with a clear-eyed view on technical risk management – a great opportunity to mutually learn from each other along the way.”

As the world moves into a new phase of the energy transition, the combination of innovation, energy security and collaboration will become increasingly important. Not only for scaling e-Fuels, but for building the future energy system aviation, like any other industry, will depend on.

(1) https://www.boeing.com/commercial/market/commercial-market-outlook [15.06.2026]

WHY E-FUELS MATTER BEYOND EMISSIONS REDUCTION