Airlines UK has welcomed the government’s latest commitment on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said on September 4 that it would launch a consultation on the design of a “revenue certainty mechanism” aimed at driving investment in domestic SAF plants.
Airlines UK chief executive Tim Alderslade said the organisation’s members looked forward to engaging in the consultation and agreeing on a scheme “as quickly as possible”.
He added: “Industry has long been calling for a policy that directly incentivises investment in the initial UK SAF plants.”
The government wants to have five commercial SAF plants under construction by 2025.
Alderslade, whose organisation represents UK-registered carriers, said SAF will make the “biggest contribution” to aviation decarbonisation by 2025.
He added: “Ultimately, the end goal must be more and cheaper SAF, to avoid spiralling price increases for passengers and to ensure we meet the SAF mandate, without relying wholly on imports or suppliers simply buying out of their obligations.
“This means the government also introducing incentives to close the price gap between SAF and fossil jet fuel – as they have done in the US and EU – and ensuring airlines have access to enough HEFA-based SAF – the only commercially available SAF today – until enough second-generation fuel can be produced by domestic plants here in the UK.”