In Switzerland, International Air Transport Association (IATA), in partnership with Worley Consulting, has published a study demonstrating that sufficient sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) feedstock exists to enable the airline industry to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. All feedstocks considered meet stringent sustainability criteria and do not lead to changes in land use.
The study also identified significant barriers in using that feedstock for SAF production, namely:
The slow pace of technology rollout that would enable SAF to be produced from varied sources. Currently the only commercially scaled SAF production facilities use HEFA technology, for example converting used cooking oil into SAF.
Competition with other potential users of the same feedstock. Policies allocating biomass feedstock to hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation must be prioritized.
Airlines will need 500 million tonnes (Mt) of SAF to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, as outlined in the IATA Net Zero Roadmaps. This can be achieved from two main sources:
Biomass: This has the potential to produce more than 300 Mt of bio-SAF annually by 2050. Some of this potential could be limited by use for competing sources. This potential could be expanded by unlocking additional feedstocks or through efficiency gains and technology improvements over intervening decades.
Power-to-liquid (PtL): This will be required to reach 500 Mt of SAF production annually by 2050. Maximizing the volumes of cost-effective bio-SAF will reduce the pressure on e-SAF to bridge the gap.
Tags: IATA, SAF, Switzerland
Category: Fuels
