IEA AMF Task 63: Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) (Working period 2021 - 2023)

Sustainable aviation fuels can reduce aviation GHG emissions. However, this potential remains largely untapped as such fuels currently account for only 0.1% of total aviation fuel consumption. The aim of the task was to lay the foundation for joint R&D work and facilitate the introduction of sustainable aviation fuels by identifying stakeholders, assessing national situations and sharing information.

Short Description

The main objective of the IEA AMF Task 63: Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) was to identify the main challenges in the introduction of sustainable aviation fuels in order to facilitate future market uptake. Examples of successful deployment and application supported the task member countries to develop their own market uptake strategies.

Under the leadership of Austria, the project promoted the market introduction of sustainable aviation fuels in Austria and created the conditions for the reduction of GHG emissions in aviation.
To achieve these goals, relevant stakeholders and experts in the sector have been identified and contacted. The international status quo of sustainable aviation fuels was researched and summarized. The following topics have been addressed: Description of technology pathways and production facilities, current market situation, legal framework conditions and the expected development of sustainable aviation fuels.

In addition, the respective national situation of participating countries has been analyzed. In the course of these analyses, actors from research and industry were identified, raw material potentials were qualitatively described and national strengths in terms of e.g. technological competence were analyzed. Furthermore, the legal framework conditions and the national challenges for the market uptake of sustainable aviation fuels were researched.

In the course of the work already mentioned, best practice examples have been identified. These have been processed and presented in a series of three online seminars. The thematic focus was on 1) feedstock and conversion, 2) distribution and operation and 3) markets and policy. The target groups for these seminars are biofuel and aviation industries (e.g. airports and airlines), research centers, policy makers and universities. The recordings, presentations and a summary of the key messages have been made available online. To reach the interested population, project results and events have been shared via social media.

The international status quo, as well as the results of the national analyses and the online seminars have been summarized and published in a final report. The focus was on identifying the challenges in the market uptake of sustainable aviation fuels.

Project Images

Terms of use: The pictures listed underneath the header “Project Pictures” originate from the projects in the frame of the programmes City of Tomorrow, Building of Tomorrow and the IEA Research Cooperation. They may be used credited for non-commercial purposes under the Creative Commons License Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC).

Participants

Austria (operating agent), Brazil, China, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, USA

Contact Address

BEST GmbH
Dina Bacovsky, Doris Matschegg
Gewerbepark Haag 3
A-3250 Wieselburg-Land
Tel.: +43 (05) 02378 9435, +43 (05) 02378 9484
E-Mail: dina.bacovsky@best-research.eu; doris.matschegg@best-research.eu