The Role of Sustainable Aviation Fuels in Decarbonizing Air Transport
Robert M. Malina, Freddy Navarro Pineda, Megersa Abate, Charles E. Schlumberger
Abstract
Note: Table B.1 in the annex has been corrected on Feb. 17, 2023. \n The air transport sector is an \n integral part of economic growth and development. As the \n only available means of transporting passengers and goods \n across the globe within a single day, air transport provides \n critical connectivity between regions and better access to \n global markets. The creation of these benefits, however, \n leads to detrimental impacts on the environment and public \n health, including the emissions of climate-warming \n greenhouse gases (GHGs). This report emphasizes SAF as the \n main mitigation option that can most readily realize \n substantial GHG emission savings for air transport in the \n medium term (for example, the next 5 to 10 years). \n Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) is the term used by the \n aviation industry to describe a set of fuels that can be \n sustainably produced and generate lower CO2 emissions than \n conventional kerosene on a life-cycle basis. In the context \n of international regulation developed under the \n International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), SAF is \n defined more precisely as a renewable or waste-derived \n aviation fuel that meets a set of Carbon Offsetting and \n Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) \n Sustainability Criteria, including a GHG emission reduction \n criterion. Finally, continued support for sustainable \n aviation-fuel research and development is needed. This \n should include the development of feedstock supply chains, \n new and innovative production technologies, and the \n development of innovative business models that increase the \n value of all products and by-products of SAF production \n operations. As the SAF production and distribution network \n becomes global, a deeper analysis is also needed to design \n the structure of biomass feedstock and refined fuel products \n transportation, whether distributed or centralized, in \n streamlined supply chains.