Biofuel-based sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), derived from materials such as used cooking
oil or wood chips, has the potential to reduce aviation emissions by up to 80 percent,
according to government and industry representatives, and is regarded as the pivotal
eco-friendly solution for the sector.
However, industry leaders assert that Europe must invest more in synthetic aviation fuels to
achieve its net-zero targets and decarbonize aviation by 2050, as reliance solely on biofuel
will not suffice. Many are urging governments to provide additional support.
Biofuel-based SAF, made from resources like used cooking oil or wood chips, could cut
aviation emissions by up to 80 percent, according to officials from both government and
industry, positioning it as the primary green solution for aviation.
Nonetheless, there is a limited supply of feedstocks to produce sufficient quantities of fuel
from organic materials. Increased investment in the more expensive synthetic fuels, created
from hydrogen or carbon capture—known as e-SAFs—is essential for Europe to meet its
environmental objectives.
Currently, only a few refineries produce e-SAF, which is considered even cleaner than
biofuel-based SAF, and few airlines have committed to purchasing it.
“We definitely need e-SAF to bring the amount on the market which is required for the
blending mandates first and then later on for 2050 to fly each and every aircraft with SAF,”
stated Uwe Gaudig, who works on SAF projects for engineering firm Griesemann group in
Germany.
SAF constitutes only 0.2 percent of global jet fuel usage, with most of it derived from organic
feedstock-based biofuels. One significant factor for the slow adoption is cost—biofuel-based
SAF is three to five times more expensive than conventional jet fuel.
