A registry is being established by Iata to accelerate the uptake of sustainable aviation fuels by “authoritatively accounting” and reporting emissions reductions from SAF.
Seventeen airlines, one airline group, six national authorities, three equipment manufacturers and one fuel producer are already supporting the effort to develop the registry which is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2025.
The initiative came as the airline trade body revealed that its projections for a tripling of SAF production in this year to 1.5 million tonnes are on track. This would account for 0.53% of aviation’s fuel need in 2024.
But there are several policy measures that governments could take to accelerate SAF use.
SAF is expected to account for up to 65% of the total carbon mitigation needed to achieve net zero carbon emissions in air transportation by 2050.
Iata directer general Willie Walsh said: “The interest in SAF is growing and there is plenty of potential. But the concrete plans that we have seen so far are far from sufficient.
“Governments have set clear expectations for aviation to achieve a 5% CO2 emissions reduction through SAF by 2030 and to be net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“They now need to implement policies to ensure that airlines can actually purchase SAF in the required quantities.”
Some 140 renewable fuel projects with the capability to produce SAF have been announced to be in production by 2030.
Total renewable fuel production capacity could reach 51 million tonnes by 2030, with production capacity spread across almost all regions if all of these proceed to production as announced, according to Iata.
Renewable fuel production potential could exceed this estimate as investor interest in SAF grows. With a typical three-to-five-year time lag from planning to production, investment announcements as late as 2027 could be in production by 2030. At the same time, it is also clear that not all announcements reach final investment decisions, according to Iata.
Walsh added: “SAF is key to aviation’s decarbonisation. Airlines want more SAF and stand ready to use every drop of it.
“The SAF registry will help meet the critical needs of all stakeholders as part of the global effort to ramp-up SAF production.
“Governments need a trusted system to track the quality and quantities of SAF used. SAF producers need to accurately account for what has been delivered and effectively decarbonized. Corporate customers must be able to transparently account for their Scope 3 emissions. And airlines must have certainty that they can claim the environmental benefits of the SAF they purchased.
“The registry will meet all these needs. In doing so, the registry will help create a global SAF market by ensuring that airlines have access to SAF wherever it is produced, and that SAF producers have access to airlines regardless of their location.”
His comments follow a recent Iata survey showing that some 86% of travellers agreeing that governments should provide incentives for airlines to use SAF.
The same proportion (86%) agreed that leading oil corporations should prioritise the production of SAF.
Walsh said: “Incentives to build more renewable energy facilities, strengthen the feedstock supply chain, and to allocate a greater portion of renewable fuel output to aviation would help decarbonising aviation.
“Governments can also facilitate technical solutions with accelerated approvals for diverse feedstocks and production methodologies as well as co-processing renewable feedstocks in crude oil plants.
“No one policy or strategy will get us to the needed levels. But by using a combination of all potential policy measures, producing sufficient quantities of SAF is absolutely possible.”