Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce
  • Benton Co. Business Resource Initiative
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Membership Directory
    • Member Login
    • Join the Chamber
    • Membership Features
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Stakeholder, Leader, & Growth Level Members
  • EVENTS
    • Chamber Calendar
    • Annual Events >
      • Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon
      • Women in Business Conference
      • State of the Cities
      • Tri-Cities Diversity Summit >
        • Diversity Summit Awards Nomination Form
        • Tri-Cities Diversity Summit Call for Speakers
      • Elected Leaders Reception
      • Tri-Cities Day with the Seahawks
      • Tri-Cities Day at the Capitol
      • Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium
    • Monthly Membership Luncheon
    • Business After Hours
    • Meet the Chamber
    • Ribbon Cutting Request
    • Speaking Opportunities
  • PROGRAMS & SERVICES
    • BUSINESS PROGRAMS >
      • Ask the Experts
      • Economic Gardening
      • Office Depot Savings Program
      • Small Business Incentive Program
    • Workforce & Education >
      • Tri-Cities Regional Career Signing Day
      • Washington Workforce Portal
    • myTRI 2030
    • Business Advocacy >
      • Public Policy Guiding Principles
      • Business Advocacy Letters
      • Session Spotlight
      • Vote for Business
      • TRI-CITIES LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 2023 LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
    • Ambassador Club
    • LEARN Groups
    • Washington PTAC >
      • Meet the Buyer
      • Procurement Power Hour
    • Business Builders Resource Roundtable
  • NEWS
    • Press Releases
    • Blog
    • Member News
    • Annual Report
    • eBlast Advertising
    • Email Updates
  • ABOUT US
    • Contact
    • Our Leadership
    • Our Team
    • Committees
    • Policies
    • Our Partners >
      • TRIDEC
      • Visit Tri-Cities

MEMBER NEWS

WSU Tri-Cities' BSEL, Heyne, Tapped to Guide Development of Snohomish County Sustainable Aviation Fuel R&D Center

3/31/2023

0 Comments

 
Community leaders announcing the establishment of the world-leading Sustainable Aviation Fuel Research and Development Center at Paine Field on March 28, 2023. (L-R) 1. Dale Smith, Regional Director, SAF Procurement & Policy Strategies, Boeing, Scott Kennedy, State and Local Government Affairs Manager, Alaska Airlines, Brian Surratt, President and CEO, Greater Seattle Partners, Senator Marko Liias (D-Mukilteo), Washington State Legislature, Emily Wittman, President & CEO, Aerospace Futures Alliance, Garry Clark, President & CEO, Economic Alliance of Snohomish County, Diane Kamionka, Executive Director, Northwest Innovation Resource Center, Dr. Josh Heyne, Director, WSU Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Lab, Lynnette Muenzberg, Board Chair, Aerospace Futures Alliance, Dr. Paul Pitre, Chancellor, Washington State University - Everett, Sandra Haynes, Chancellor, Washington State University - Tri-Cities, and Executive Dave Somers, Snohomish County Government.
(L-R) 1. Dale Smith, Regional Director, SAF Procurement & Policy Strategies, Boeing, Scott Kennedy, State and Local Government Affairs Manager, Alaska Airlines, Brian Surratt, President and CEO, Greater Seattle Partners, Senator Marko Liias (D-Mukilteo), Washington State Legislature, Emily Wittman, President & CEO, Aerospace Futures Alliance, Garry Clark, President & CEO, Economic Alliance of Snohomish County, Diane Kamionka, Executive Director, Northwest Innovation Resource Center, Dr. Josh Heyne, Director, WSU Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Lab, Lynnette Muenzberg, Board Chair, Aerospace Futures Alliance, Dr. Paul Pitre, Chancellor, Washington State University - Everett, Sandra Haynes, Chancellor, Washington State University - Tri-Cities, and Executive Dave Somers, Snohomish County Government.

Washington State University Tri-Cities and Snohomish County will partner to bring a proposed research and development center for sustainable aviation fuels to life. Snohomish County officials announced Tuesday plans for a $6.5 million Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Applied Research and Development Center located at Paine Field in Snohomish County. The first-of-its-kind center will offer fuel testing, fuel finishing and the world’s first fuel repository.

Dr. Joshua Heyne, a leading expert in sustainable aviation fuels and director of the Bioproducts Science and Engineering Laboratory (BSEL) at WSU Tri-Cities is set to lead the SAF center at Paine Field.

“Washington state’s leadership in aviation and the environment was one of the reasons I moved across the country to join WSU. Here, the state is supporting efforts to meet global challenges while complementing existing strengths,” Heyne said. “WSU research has enabled the inception of global policies and new technologies to benefit state agricultural and industrial activities from Pullman to Everett. We are proud to partner with Snohomish County, our state Legislature, and industry partners to once again meet a global need with local interests.”

Sandra Haynes, chancellor at WSU Tri-Cities attended the press announcement at the Snohomish County airfield. “This is such a wonderful opportunity for Snohomish County and WSU Tri-Cities. With their expertise in aviation and the environment and our extensive SAF research, it’s a perfect partnership,” she said. “We are very proud of the research being conducted on our campus at BSEL and even more proud that Dr. Heyne and others will be helping to guide the development of this truly unique and impressive endeavor that stands to advance SAF around the globe.”

Currently, BSEL is a leader in developing the next generation of SAF with research, partnerships, and as the official FAA SAF prescreening lab. Development of SAF is an important step toward addressing global climate change and for the continued success of commercial aviation. Hundreds of samples from North America and Europe have been tested and its researchers have developed novel experimental and computational tools to evaluate SAF candidates at very low volumes. BSEL will continue to develop additional low-volume (< 20 gallons) tests at WSU Tri-Cities. In addition, the lab has worked with more than three dozen institutions from across academia, national labs, and industry to align their technologies for commercialization.

According to a press release posted on the Snohomish County website, the Center at Paine Field will support the following SAF components:
  • Repository: SAF samples will be received, tested at small scales, indexed, distributed around the U.S. and world. This meets an immediate community need as a repository of this type does not currently exist.
  • Finishing: SAF samples and production methods could be investigated to reduce costs and the impact on human health and the environment.
  • Large-Scale Testing: SAF samples could be tested at large scales (by the thousands of gallons) needed to ensure safety and bring new fuels and products to market.




The center would allow for sustainable fuel samples to be more thoroughly tested by researchers and give them opportunities to find more efficient production methods that are less impactful on human health and the environment.
​
Project leaders are seeking additional state funding to make the center a reality. Washington State Senator Marko Liias has proposed $6.5 million in start-up funding for the project in the proposed Senate Transportation Budget, with State Rep. Brandy Donaghy taking up the effort in the State House of Representatives.

According to the Snohomish County website, the Legislature is expected to vote on a compromise transportation budget in the coming weeks. Concurrently, the County, WSU, and the AFA are releasing a Request for Qualifications to identify a contractor to develop a business plan for the Center. The plan should be complete in September 2023.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Have News?

    Email your press release and a photo to Austin Regimbal, Marketing & Communications Director. Press releases are posted in their entirety. This is a free benefit for members of the Tri-City Regional Chamber.

    Archives

    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017

    RSS Feed

Copyright © Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.
7130 W Grandridge Blvd., Suite C, Kennewick, WA 99336 USA
Phone: (509) 736-0510 |  Fax: (509) 783-1733 
info@tricityregionalchamber.com
Hours
Monday - Thursday: 8 am - 5 pm
​Friday: 8 am - 12 pm
​Closed Weekends

Photos used under Creative Commons from The National Guard, Gamma Man, US Department of Education, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Tony Webster, jalexartis, Blue Mountains Library, denisbin, Baker County Tourism
  • Benton Co. Business Resource Initiative
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Membership Directory
    • Member Login
    • Join the Chamber
    • Membership Features
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Stakeholder, Leader, & Growth Level Members
  • EVENTS
    • Chamber Calendar
    • Annual Events >
      • Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon
      • Women in Business Conference
      • State of the Cities
      • Tri-Cities Diversity Summit >
        • Diversity Summit Awards Nomination Form
        • Tri-Cities Diversity Summit Call for Speakers
      • Elected Leaders Reception
      • Tri-Cities Day with the Seahawks
      • Tri-Cities Day at the Capitol
      • Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium
    • Monthly Membership Luncheon
    • Business After Hours
    • Meet the Chamber
    • Ribbon Cutting Request
    • Speaking Opportunities
  • PROGRAMS & SERVICES
    • BUSINESS PROGRAMS >
      • Ask the Experts
      • Economic Gardening
      • Office Depot Savings Program
      • Small Business Incentive Program
    • Workforce & Education >
      • Tri-Cities Regional Career Signing Day
      • Washington Workforce Portal
    • myTRI 2030
    • Business Advocacy >
      • Public Policy Guiding Principles
      • Business Advocacy Letters
      • Session Spotlight
      • Vote for Business
      • TRI-CITIES LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 2023 LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
    • Ambassador Club
    • LEARN Groups
    • Washington PTAC >
      • Meet the Buyer
      • Procurement Power Hour
    • Business Builders Resource Roundtable
  • NEWS
    • Press Releases
    • Blog
    • Member News
    • Annual Report
    • eBlast Advertising
    • Email Updates
  • ABOUT US
    • Contact
    • Our Leadership
    • Our Team
    • Committees
    • Policies
    • Our Partners >
      • TRIDEC
      • Visit Tri-Cities