IEA AMF Task 66: Recent Progress in SAF Research (working period 2026 - 2027)

AMF Task 66 will build on the work and results of AMF Task 63 on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). The Task will conduct 10 online workshops to exchange information and results on current research on SAF production and its application, as well as on related policy measures. This will enable the Task countries to better understand the state of the art, identify further research needs and derive recommendations for governments seeking to expand SAF production or use.

Short Description

AMF Task 66 will build on the work and results of AMF Task 63 on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). The purpose is to facilitate the exchange of information between participating countries on the latest end-use related research on SAF through a series of ten online workshops. The organisation of these workshops will also serve to expand the existing AMF network of SAF stakeholders. To this end, additional stakeholders will be identified and involved on an ongoing basis, but especially in the initial phase. This is important to ensure that all stakeholders (industry, academia, policy makers, international organisations as well as the financial sector) are heard, further increasing the relevance of the workshop topics to them.

The topics for the online workshops are defined during so-called scoping meetings together with all participating countries (including input from the respective national stakeholders) and thus reflect the R&D interests and ongoing projects of the countries. A number of topics have already been identified during the execution of AMF Task 63 and the preparation for AMF Task 66. To this end, an initial survey has been conducted with national stakeholders. The topics identified so far can be roughly divided into three key themes: SAF production, SAF utilisation and policy recommendations. The workshops will be organised by the task leader and held alternately by the participating countries. Great importance is attached to close cooperation with industry and existing interest groups.

The following online workshops have already been held or are being planned:

  • #1: Utilization of SAF up to 100% (Austria, March 2025)
  • #2: Process parameters and properties (Austria, April 2025)
  • #3: Monitoring of SAF R&D, demonstration projects and production deployment - Will the global market ramp-up succeed? (Germany, December 2025)
  • #4: Status and developments of engine technology in aircrafts using SAF (Denmark, March 2026)
  • #5: Recommendations of new policy measures to further promote SAF production and utilization (Brazil, June 2026)

Their documentation and recordings are available on the Task 66 website.

Interested Austrian stakeholders are also invited to actively participate in the workshops, e.g. by giving a presentation. In this way, they can stay informed about the current state of research, benefit from the knowledge of major players such as the USA and Brazil, discuss with experts from all over the world, and contribute topics that are relevant to them to the discussion.

The expected results include the task website, which serves as the central knowledge point. On this website, the announcements and summaries of the content and findings of the online workshops, their recordings, as well as descriptions of research groups working on SAF will be published. The workshop series comprises a total of ten workshops over the next three years. These will be comprehensively documented so that the findings are available to all stakeholders. National recommendations for action and RTI will be drawn up based on the discussions during the workshops. In addition, the key findings will be summarised in a final report and key messages will be derived.

Participants

Austria (Operating Agent), Brazil, China, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, USA

Contact Address

Doris Matschegg
BEST – Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH
Inffeldgasse 21b, 8010 Graz
E-Mail: doris.matschegg@best-research.eu

Dina Bacovsky
BEST – Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies GmbH
Inffeldgasse 21b, 8010 Graz
E-Mail: dina.bacovsky@best-research.eu