Georgia Southern University joins newly formed Georgia Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition to deepen biofuels research and innovation

Georgia Southern University has joined the newly launched Georgia Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Coalition, a public-private alliance designed to position the state as a national leader in low-emission aviation biofuels. The University serves as an essential research, education and community partner in the statewide alliance.

By uniting global industry giants like Delta Air Lines with agricultural and business leaders, including the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the Georgia Farm Bureau and the Georgia Forestry Association, the coalition aims to turn Georgia’s rich timber and agricultural waste into a robust, regional SAF supply chain within the next five years.

Georgia Southern will serve the alliance as a pivotal research and infrastructure anchor. Through the University’s Sustainable Fuels Research Network and specialized Sustainable Aviation Fuels Research Laboratory, researchers are already driving critical advancements in renewable fuels, biomass conversion, fuel chemistry, combustion and emissions, effectively bridging the gap between Georgia’s natural resources and commercial aviation applications.

“Georgia has an unparalleled opportunity to connect two of its economic powerhouses: forestry and aviation,” said Avinandan Mukherjee, Ph.D., provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at Georgia Southern. “Georgia Southern brings the exact engineering, chemistry, and material science research for biomass conversion and fuel-testing infrastructure needed to accelerate this opportunity, creating new markets for Georgia-grown resources while reducing commercial air travel emissions.”

Georgia Southern’s core contributions to the coalition’s mission center on engineering the conversion process and transforming local raw materials into high-value energy products. Operating on the cutting edge of mechanical engineering, University researchers specialize in advanced biofuels, biomass gasification, catalytic pyrolysis, hydrocarbon development and the modeling of advanced biofuel production processes. 

“We are at the forefront of analyzing how renewable biomass, like our native pine sawdust, can be converted into the exact hydrocarbon building blocks required for certified, high-performance jet fuel,” said Valentin Soloiu, Ph.D., director of the Aerospace Combustion Laboratories at Georgia Southern University. “By leveraging our advanced combustion, fuel chemistry and emissions testing infrastructure, we are bridging the critical gap between Georgia’s rich timber resources and commercial aviation,” noted Soloiu. “Our specialized laboratories are fully equipped to ensure these low-emission biofuels not only meet rigorous aviation standards but also create economic resilience for our forestry sector.”

Armed with specialized laboratory assets and cross-disciplinary expertise, Georgia Southern is poised to ensure that Georgia’s natural resources seamlessly power the future of global aviation.