0.2% 80% 2050


SAF only accounts for 0.2% of aviation use, but that hasn’t stopped it being introduced into the aviation fuel chain.


On average, SAF can reduce CO2 emissions by 80% compared to traditional jet fuel.


The aviation industry is at a pivotal point in achieving its net zero emission targets by 2050.


SAF…THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL!


A ‘unicorn’ industry in its infancy…


It had been around earlier, but I first saw it cropping up regularly in my emails in 2021, then more in 2022, followed by a steady stream in 2023 until in 2024, very nearly every few days, there was another… and another…article or conference about SAF or to give its full name Sustainable Aviation Fuel. For an industry in its infancy, it sure does show up a lot in postings and stories. Now…this article is too short to deal with all the SAF universe of articles and implications…but I can give a flavour, of what is out there now…and how it may affect you individually and collectively.


The current global volumes for SAF are tiny. Tiny in comparison to conventional jet fuel. In 2023, the world production of SAF was about 600 million litres or half a million tonnes. This was double 2022’s volume of 300 million litres but it still amounted to only 0.2% of ALL the aviation fuel used for the year1


. There are eight, what they call ‘pathways’ to SAF, all filled with acronyms2 .


However, the three most common are HEFA, a process refining new and used vegetable and waste oils into SAF, Alcohol to Jet (AtJ) converting ethanol & iso-butanol into longer SAF molecules and finally eFuels or Power-to-Liquid (PtL), using Green Hydrogen, captured CO2 and renewable electricity to create synthetic fuels1


.


Whilst the goal is to see aviation use 100% SAF, the goal is still a long, long way away. I’ve already mentioned how SAF only accounts for 0.2% of aviation use, but that hasn’t stopped it being introduced into the aviation fuel chain. It is already being added as a blend to traditional jet fuel though on a limited scale. There have been some highlighted cases out there where major airlines have used SAF blended or SAF only flights to demonstrate the feasibility (and to get press attention), one of note was how in January 2023, the UK’s Royal Air Force successfully used a SAF blend in RAF Hercules transport aircraft and even in front line RAF Typhoon multirole fighter jets4


.


1. airbus.com 2. afdc.energy.gov 4. Biofuels International – 13th Jan 2023


1. airbus.com 3. farmdocDAILY, – 26th Feb 2024


4 | ADMISI - The Ghost In The Machine | Q2 Edition 2024


WHILST THE GOAL IS TO SEE AVIATION USE 100% SAF, THE GOAL IS STILL A LONG, LONG WAY AWAY.


From these press releases a couple of key features emerge. To start with, aero engines do not need any major modifications to accept SAF3


plus it also comes down to decarbonisation. On average, SAF can reduce CO2 emissions by 80% compared to traditional jet fuel. This substantial reduction is crucial to the aviation industry’s progress towards decarbonisation1


, so it


seems everyone wants to show their SAF credentials.


However, there are still two main problems stemming from the low usage. I’ve mentioned one already, the low availability and to this can be added the high cost of SAF. SAF is between 2 – 5 times more expensive than regular jet fuel1


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