Sustainable aviation fuels: A meta-review of surveys and key challenges
Sebastian Wandelt, Yahua Zhang, Xiaoqian Sun
Abstract
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) offers various pathways to mitigate the aviation industry’s significant carbon footprint. Over the past years, the SAF research landscape has seen a proliferation of overview/survey papers across diverse domains, driven by an increasing number of primary studies. The fragmentation of these papers across disciplinary boundaries, however, has a strong potential to prevent a comprehensive understanding of SAF state of the art and advancements. In this meta-review, we synthesize insights from the extant SAF survey literature. By systematically analyzing over 60 survey/overview papers on feedstock production, fuel synthesis technologies, lifecycle assessments, policy frameworks, economic viability, and intersections thereof, our review identifies recurring themes and emerging technologies regarding SAF research. Our meta-review also underscores the need of orchestrated future research efforts, by consolidating the top-10 fragmented SAF challenges across all surveys. We highlight feedstock availability problems, opportunities for scaling up production while maintaining sustainability criteria, fostering cooperation, and harmonizing SAF certification standards, among others. Our meta-review seeks to serve as a navigational tool for researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders alike, laying the foundation for a more effective and impactful orchestration of future work towards decarbonizing global aviation.