EASA publishes report on the European Union Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) market

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published the “State of the EU SAF market in 2023” report, which provides significant insights into the state of the Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) market in the European Union (EU). The report includes:

• reference prices for the different fuel types eligible under Regulation (EU) 2023/2405 (the “ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation”);
• an assessment on the SAF production capacity for the EU; and
• an outline of emerging trends in the SAF production market.

Sustainable Aviation Fuels are a ready-to-use solution to reduce the impact of aviation on the environment. The ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation, a landmark regulation to help decarbonise aviation published in 2023, sets targets for a minimum percentage of SAF to be used as a blend with jet fuel in air operations as a means to steadily reduce the sector’s CO2 emissions. The mandatory use of SAF starts with a minimum of 2% in 2025. This percentage will increase gradually to stimulate the production and uptake of SAF. There is also a sub-mandate for the use of synthetic SAF, which have an even higher potential for reducing CO2 emissions.

“This first report on SAF provides a comprehensive analysis and valuable insights to the potential of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) for commercial airline operations in Europe” said EASA Strategy and Safety Management Director Maria Rueda. “It will be a key component on the journey towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly aviation sector”.

The ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation also establishes that EASA is required to publish an annual technical report, based on data from the previous year. This report shall contain information on the status of compliance of the parties obligated under the Regulation as well as on the state and development of the SAF market in the European Union and its Member States.

The “State of the EU SAF Market in 2023” report serves as a precursor to the first EASA annual technical report due in 2025. Among other findings, the report shows that the announced SAF production capacity is expected to meet the minimum SAF share of 6% required under the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation by 2030. At the same time, the report highlights that rapid action is needed to ensure that the minimum share for synthetic aviation fuel, set to 0,7% by 2030, can be met by that date.