Refiners are ramping up production of SAF quickly, but supply is not enough to reach airline industry’s long-term emissions goals. [Credit: Shutterstock]
Key Takeaways:
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production tripled in 2022, reaching at least 300 million liters, with airlines utilizing all available supply despite high prices.
IATA aims for exponential growth in SAF production, targeting 30 billion liters by 2030 and 450 billion liters by 2050, which is projected to cover 65% of the industry's net-zero emissions goal.
The main challenge is increasing SAF supply, as market forces alone are insufficient to meet growing demand and ambitious targets.
IATA urges governments to implement comprehensive production incentives for SAF, similar to those for other renewable fuels, to secure aviation's share of refinery capacity and drive decarbonization.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that total production of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, tripled in 2022, reaching at least 300 million liters, or about 79.3 million gallons.
SAF production totaled 100 million liters, or 26.4 million gallons, in 2021.
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Jonathan Welsh is Lead Editor of Aviation Consumer and a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4
