In a report entitled ‘The ReFuelEU Aviation SAF flexibility mechanism’, published on Friday 28 February, the European Commission emphasised the crucial role of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) in achieving carbon neutrality in air transport by 2050.
Unlike conventional aviation fuels (CAFs), SAFs are produced from non-fossil sources.
Coming into force in 2023, the ‘ReFuelEU Aviation’ regulation, which requires suppliers to increase the proportion of SAFs in aircraft fuel mixes, should make it possible to reduce the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 60% by 2050, according to the study.
However, the production of these fuels remains insufficient: in 2023, SAF production capacity in the EU accounted for just 0.6% of total aviation fuel consumption. “The market (...) was unable to scale up the production and supply of SAF and blended SAF”, the report notes.
‘ReFuelEU Aviation’ includes a flexibility mechanism applicable until 2034, which allows suppliers to meet their obligations as a weighted average between airports. However, from 2035, all fuels supplied to European airports will have to contain at least 20% SAF.
The report therefore calls for investment to accelerate, particularly in synthetic fuels, and states that “ramping up SAF production in the EU, coupled with implementing the Union Database (UDB), should prevent distortions of competition and promote greater market transparency”.
The report: https://aeur.eu/f/fph (Original version in French by Justine Manaud)