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“US, China and Singapore to lead SAF production by 2030”

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is taking off as the (blend-in) fuel of the future. SAF has become a focus of the aviation industry’s efforts to reduce its carbon emissions. But which countries are taking the lead in supplying the vast amounts of SAF that airlines need in the (near) future?  

The new Global SAF Production Capacity Outlook report, compiled by GlobalData, concludes that the US, China and Singapore are set to have the biggest increases in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production capacity by the next decade. 

 

Airport Technology reports that GlobalData’s oil and gas intelligence team regards North America as the frontrunner in SAF production capacity levels compared to the rest of the world. The US is forecast to have an upcoming capacity of more than 1,200 million gallons per year by 2030. 

There is little doubt that SAF will become more important in the next decade. In the EU, France and Ireland have already mandated the use of SAF in aircraft engine operations for the aviation sector to cut down the use of fossil fuel-based aviation fuels. The EU has recently approved SAF targets that would bind European airports to reach 70% SAF use by 2050, essentially forcing suppliers to ensure its availability in the continent.  

The production capacity needed to meet the increasing demand for SAF by airlines is slowly becoming available, the report says. While some growth in the global capacity is projected for 2024, the most significant increase is projected for 2025 and 2026 when most planned or announced SAF production projects are expected to come into operation.