UK research projects looks at potential of SAF to reduce climate impact of contrails

Rolls-Royce is leading a new UK research project to explore smarter ways of using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) which could reduce the formation and climate impact of contrails.

image: Shutterstock

The project, called QRITOS (Quantifying Reduction in Thermal Contrails by Optimising SAF), brings together Rolls-Royce, British Airways, Imperial College London, and Heathrow Airport.

Contrails form when water vapor from jet engines freezes at high altitudes, creating thin, bright clouds. While until recently considered harmless, these ice crystal trails trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming.

Although not directly related on CO2 emissions, contrails are responsible for a substantial portion of aviation’s climate impact—possibly as much as half of the warming effect from all flights globally, making them a key target for climate mitigation strategies alongside CO₂ reductions.

It is believed that planes fuelled partially by SAF could produce fewer contrails, meaning the clouds may have a smaller warming effect.

It’s also known that most of the potential climate impact comes from a small proportion of flights. This creates an opportunity for “smart SAF use” targeting those flights expected to form persistent contrails.

The QRITOS project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach by combining data from flight trials, advanced modelling and satellite observations of British Airways flights using Heathrow Airport to monitor contrail formation following this targeted SAF usage.

The two-year programme is being delivered by the Aerospace Technology Institute, Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and Innovate UK, in partnership with the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

Sebastian Eastham, Associate Professor in Sustainable Aviation at Imperial said, “We will develop and trial advanced computational contrail modelling and satellite image analysis techniques, with the goal of performing both prediction and near real-time assessment of the effectiveness of targeted SAF deployment for contrail warming reduction.

“This project is a great opportunity to learn not only about the potential benefits of this technique, but also to advance our understanding of contrails and our ability to detect, track, and analyse them – supporting the development of more options to reduce aviation’s climate impacts.”

Tom Byrne, British Airways’ Head of Net Zero and Environment, said, “Through the QRITOS project, we’re exploring how SAF can go beyond reducing carbon emissions to also help minimise the climate impact of contrails. By combining cutting-edge research, satellite data and real-world flight trials, we’re working to unlock smarter, more targeted use of SAF—ensuring that every drop delivers maximum benefit.”