UK to Require 10% Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Jet Fuel Mix by 2030
The UK government announced today that it has confirmed its target mandating at least 10% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the UK jet fuel mix by 2030.
Fuel accounts for the vast majority of the aviation sector’s emissions. Generally produced from sustainable resources, like waste oils and agricultural residues, SAF is seen as one of the key tools to help decarbonize the aviation industry in the near- to medium-term. SAF producers estimate the fuels can result in lifecycle GHG emissions reductions of as much as 85% relative to conventional fuels.
Efforts to meaningfully increase the use of SAF by airlines face significant challenges, however, including the low supply currently available on the market, and prices well above those of conventional fossil-based fuels. Globally, SAF currently represents less than 0.1% of jet fuel volumes.
The new UK announcement forms part of the government’s sustainable aviation fuel mandate, which will come into force in January 2025, subject to parliamentary approval. The mandate follows the launch by the government in 2022 of its “Jet Zero” strategy to achieve a net zero emissions aviation sector by 2050 which identified priority action areas including accelerating supply and demand of SAF, as well as including improving the efficiency of aircraft, airports and airspace, supporting the development of zero-emissions aircraft, and developing carbon markets and emissions removal technologies to help offset residual emissions.
