Sustainable aviation fuels rollout is main bottleneck to net-zero, says IATA
Study shows that sufficient sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) feedstock exists to achieve net-zero by 2050.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in partnership with Worley Consulting, all feedstocks considered in the study meet stringent sustainability criteria and do not lead to changes in land use.
The study also identifies significant barriers in using that feedstock for SAF production, such as the slow pace of technology rollout.
The IATA says currently the only commercially scaled SAF production facilities use hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA), for example, converting used cooking oil into SAF.
However, there is also competition with other potential users of the same feedstock. The organisation says policies allocating biomass feedstock to hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation must be prioritised.
Importantly, to maximise SAF output, the study says improving conversion efficiencies, accelerating technology rollout, enhanced feedstock logistics and investment in infrastructure is needed across all regions.
‘There is enough potential feedstock from sustainable sources to reach net-zero carbon emissions in 2050. However, this will only be accomplished with a major acceleration of the SAF industry’s growth,‘ comments Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
Read the study online.
