Key players in Europe’s aviation industry, including airlines, airports and manufacturers, have published a toolkit to fast-track sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Europe.
Global consulting and digital services company ICF set out the measures in a new report, which it said should form part of a dedicated European Union (EU) SAF strategy.
The European Commission (EC)’s planned Clean Industrial Deal and Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) were ideal opportunities to put the measures into practice, according to the 30 January report.
Jointly commissioned by six industry bodies, the report highlighted how current projections for SAF production in Europe fell short of ambitions and were impacted by industrial strategies in other countries, such as the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Chinese strategic investment, which had created an unequal marketplace.
If the trend continued, increasing quantities of SAF were likely to be imported to meet the EU’s mandates, undermining its attempts to attain energy independence, the report said.
In addition, consumers will face extra costs for more costly SAF and an increasing share of jobs will be created in other countries, further undermining Europe’s competitiveness, according to the report.
However, the report said the negative projection for Europe was not inevitable and a concerted policy push could boost SAF production in Europe.
The report’s recommendations include: the introduction of risk-sharing mechanisms to unlock private investments and reduce consumer costs; the improvement of financial support for advanced SAF facilities; the prioritisation of access to feedstocks and renewable electricity to ensure sustainable and competitive production; and the refining existing mechanisms, such as adding increased flexibilities to the ReFuelEU Aviation mandate and ETS allowances, to improve market efficiency and reduce volatility.
“SAF isn’t just the key to decarbonising aviation in the short term, it’s an opportunity for Europe to establish itself as a global leader in a new form of energy,” the heads of the six associations said.
“If policymakers step up and implement the measures in this report, Europe can lead the transition to decarbonised aviation, increase its energy independence and enhance its competitiveness.”
The six industry bodies which commissioned the report were: European airlines trade association Airlines for Europe (A4E); European industry trade association Airports Council International (ACI Europe); Airport Regions Council (ARC), the association of regional and local authorities across Europe with an airport situated within or near their territories; trade association AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD); trade association European Regions Airline Association (ERA) and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).
