Sustainable jet fuel too costly and scarce, airline group warns

RIO DE JANEIRO

Aviation fuel from non-petroleum sources remains difficult to find and still far too expensive to bring about the de-carbonization of air travel, the world's major airlines said on June 6 at a conference in Brazil.

Global production of so-called sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is expected to reach some 2.4 million tons in 2026, only about 0.8 percent of airline consumption, according to the International Air Transport Association.

"It looks to be another disappointing year for SAF production," Willie Walsh, the director general of IATA, which represents about 370 airlines, said in a statement.

He noted that the sharp rise in fuel prices caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East has not boosted awareness of the supply shortage.

"We have yet to see either the energy shock, the need to develop energy independence and jobs, or the urgency to mitigate climate change materialize in the incentives needed to create a viable SAF market," Walsh said.

Conference host Brazil is an example of a country with "untapped potential," according to IATA, which said the sprawling South American nation holds nearly 120 million tons of potential feedstock for SAFs by 2030.

While conventional jet fuel is petroleum-based, SAF is made from materials such as food and yard waste, agricultural residue and used cooking oil.