The aviation industry: turbulence ahead
Markets.
An increasing population means increasing energy demand. That means something needs to give in the battle against climate change: low-carbon fuels are needed.
Scaling up.
The public demand for greener more sustainable flights is climbing steadily. But according to the WEF and McKinsey & Company, in 2019, fewer than 200,000 metric tons of SAF were produced globally — less than 0.1% of the fuel used by commercial airlines.
Feedstock limitations.
With priority given to food production, blending limits will constrain how much first-generation, bio-based feedstocks can be used. And, in a safety-focused industry, new fuels will be required to meet stringent certification standards.
Decarbonizing flights.
Technologically speaking, the high energy density required to carry payloads over long distances and the use of non-liquid jet fuel give disruption to the existing supply chain from new energy sources will provide challenges.
Legislation.
The EU’s ReFuelEU Aviation proposed SAF blending mandate has ambitious targets regarding minimum volume percentage of SAF in the aviation fuel supply over time. The Sustainable Skies Act in the US proposes significant incentives for SAF production.
Scale up, up, up…
The bad news? Decarbonizing aviation will not be easy.
And the good news? The technology exists to ramp up production of SAF significantly as soon as the feedstock quantities are available.
And even a small Topsoe renewable-fuel facility produces enough Sustainable Aviation Fuel to travel 3.5 billion passenger kilometers per year.
We have the R&D and practical know-how to make low-carbon travel possible. So let’s start the journey today.
Expert perspectives on Sustainable Aviation Fuel
This report provides a comprehensive review of the opportunities and challenges for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) adoption, featuring leading experts from across the value chain.
Knowledge Special: SAF TALKSTM
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) continues to be recognized as a crucial solution for driving down the CO2 emissions of the aviation industry. And yet, SAF currently accounts for less than 1% of the global jet fuel consumption.
To fuel knowledge sharing of what it'll take to scale-up SAF, we've composed a second season of SAF TalksTM filmed during our second SAF Summit in Copenhagen in November 2023.
In a total of 9 bite-sized videos, frontrunners from across the SAF value chain share their latest trends and insights. And trust us! The industry is far from being at a standstill with numerous development underway...
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