Steve Csonka
Executive Director of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative
Steve Csonka is the Executive Director of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, a coalition of airlines, aircraft and engine
manufacturers, energy producers, researchers, international participants, and U.S. government agencies. Together these stakeholders are leading the development and deployment of alternative jet-fuel options for commercial aviation that offer equivalent safety and favorable costs compared with petroleum-based jet fuel, while improving environmental performance and energy supply security for aviation. Mr. Csonka has more than 35 years of experience with commercial aircraft engines and fuels and holds a master’s degree in propulsion and combustion engineering from the University of Cincinnati.
Mr. Csonka will make two presentations at UW–Madison:
Industry Seminar
Wednesday, February 1, 3:30 – 4:30 pm
Wisconsin Energy Institute 1115
Mr. Csonka will discuss two main themes, first the challenges and complexities of moving new jet-fuel technologies to market including technology readiness, scale-up, policy and regulatory issues, financial, product testing and validation, market acceptance, etc. Commercialization of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) is especially complicated due to the global nature of the effort, the large number of relevant organizations and government entities involved, the highly integrated nature of the aviation fuel supply chain, and the critical need for product quality and performance. His second theme will explore how industrial efforts and R&D themes come together to support the aviation industry’s goals, including chemistry, agriculture, sustainability, petroleum, and engineering among other academic disciplines relevant to SAF.
Workshop on Sustainable Aviation Fuels and Biobased Chemicals
Thursday, February 2, 9:50 – 10:40 am
DeLuca Forum, Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (and online)
Registration required
Mr. Csonka will provide a technical, policy and market overview of sustainable aviation fuels. His presentation will review the technology pathways to renewable jet fuels, possible feedstocks, fuel variations due to different production technologies, and co-production opportunities with biobased chemicals. ASTM standards and policy drivers such as the Renewable Fuels Standard, federal incentives, and state activities such as California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard will also be discussed. Mr. Csonka will also highlight airline SAF strategies and commercialization efforts, current techno-economic and life-cycle assessment analyses, product testing and validation, and other market acceptance issues.