Europe’s sustainable aviation fuel progress

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport continues to make progress in its journey to becoming a sustainable aviation fuel supplier hub. Europe has been leading the way on many policies aimed at advancing the decarbonisation of its economy, such as the implementation of emissions trading systems (ETS) and adopting the ReFuelEU legislation, committing to tangible SAF mandates of up to 70% of fuel supply by 2050.

Air travel contributes 2-3% of global CO2 emissions, primarily due to aircraft fossil fuel consumption. Furthermore, the projected demand for aviation fuel could surge by over 50% by 2050 compared to 2019, increasing this share significantly. Despite recognition of the importance of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in decarbonising the industry, global production remains insufficient, with announced projects covering only 3040% of the aspirational 10% of global fuel supply in 2030.

Solving this supply shortage requires deploying existing and developing novel technologies in regions with favourable conditions. Appropriate regulations and policies are also needed to create a SAF market given that SAF production is currently two to five times costlier than fossil jet fuel.

Emirates has confirmed the activation of a fuel agreement with Neste this month at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Over 2mn gallons of blended SAF will be supplied into the fuelling system at Schiphol Airport over the course of 2024. The airline says it will track the delivery of SAF into the fuelling systems and environmental benefits using standard industry accounting methodologies. Emirates’ partnership with Neste, announced late last year, represents one of the largest volumes of SAF that the airline has purchased to date.

Once fully supplied into Amsterdam Schiphol’s fuelling system, the blended SAF will have been comprised of over 700,000 gallons of neat SAF. The airline is also working with Neste to supply SAF into the fuelling systems at Singapore Changi Airport in the next few months.

Qatar Airways has signed a deal with Shell to source 3,000 metric tonnes of neat Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at Amsterdam Schiphol airport. It encompasses the existing jet fuel contract with Shell at Amsterdam which will now see Qatar Airways using at least a 5% SAF blend over the contract period for the fiscal year 2023-2024. The Qatar Airways bilateral agreement with Shell is part of a wider effort initiated by the oneworld alliance, which has a set target of using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for 10% of combined fuel volumes by 2030. Qatar Airways became the first carrier in the Middle East and Africa to procure a large SAF amount in Europe beyond government SAF mandates. SAF offers significant potential for decarbonisation as neat SAF can reduce full lifecycle emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel.

SAF is a liquid fuel, like conventional fuels, and can be transported through existing global transport networks. As a result, production facilities can be built in regions with ideal conditions, enabling the cheapest and most efficient production to fulfil the emerging global demand. Several factors influence how favourable a location is to produce SAF from technical and economic standpoints (e.g. not considering any policies or regulations). The most important aspect is the availability of cheap local green energy (electricity and heat). Next, the feedstock availability (e.g. types and quantities) and associated costs are key for the right technology choice. Additional factors to consider may include existing feedstock logistic systems, labour costs and relevant local expertise and infrastructure.

Air France has announced that it will be matching the amount of each customer subscription to the “Environmentsustainable aviation fuels” option during the Paris 2024 Games. This is effective immediately, and will automatically apply to all bookings for travel between July 18 and September 9, 2024 to destinations in mainland France, as well as French Polynesia.

If a customer makes a contribution of €50, this will be matched by Air France, making a total of €100. Since 2022, the “Environment-Sustainable Aviation Fuels” option has been available when purchasing an Air France flight on the airfrance.com website or the Air France app. All the funds raised are invested in the purchase of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).

By 2030, Air France aims to incorporate at least 10% of sustainable aviation fuels on all its flights worldwide, compared with 1% today. This target goes beyond the European incorporation mandates.

In 2023, and for the second year running, the Air France-KLM Group was the world’s leading user of sustainable aviation fuel.

The author is an aviation analyst. Twitter handle: @AlexInAir