By now, most regular flyers will have heard about sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). All parts of the aviation industry – airlines, aircraft manufacturers and airports – have emphasised its importance. Cathay Pacific has committed to purchasing 1.1 million tonnes of SAF over 10 to cover 2 cent of its total fuel requirements from 2023, while IAG, the owner of Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia, has committed to operating 10 per cent of its flights with SAF by 2030. Heathrow Airport in London has called for the UK government to set escalating mandates that would require a minimum of 50 per cent SAF use by 2050. But what exactly is SAF, and what are the challenges in realising these aims?
WHAT IS SAF?
SAF is best understood as a collective term for many different types of fuel. It is the feedstock – what goes into the mix to create the SAF – as well as the process by which it is made that determines just how “sustainable” the fuel is.
Most existing forms of SAF might also be termed biofuels, which, as the name suggests, means a fuel produced from biological resources (plant or animal material) but which also includes used cooking oil, and municipal and household waste. It is also possible
