EU SAF mandate up from 2 percent in 2025 to 70 percent in 2050

A new EU SAF mandate was recently approved by the European Parliament. The new mandate – ReFuelEU – requires EU airports and fuel suppliers to supply SAF as at least 2% of aviation fuels in 2025, 6% in 2030, 20% in 2035, 34% in 2040, 42% in 2045, and 70% in 2050.

According to a report by the Centre for Aviation, European aviation has welcomed the new rules. Air France-KLM and IAG airline groups aim to use 10% SAF to power their aircraft by 2030. Other airlines have similar targets.

ReFuelEU is an initiative within the EU's 'Fit for 55' plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. SAF is a crucial element on the pathway to net zero, pending the development of new aircraft propulsion technology.

There are also specific targets for the proportion of the fuel mix that must comprise synthetic fuels, such as e-kerosene, which are made by combining hydrogen with carbon dioxide.

The synthetic fuel targets as a proportion of the fuel mix are 1.2% in 2030, 2% in 2032, 5% in 2035, and progressively reaching 35% in 2050. In the 2021 draft, this rose to only 28% in 2050. However, synthetic fuels are still in the development stage. These fuels are regarded as more scalable, deriving from renewable electricity as their source of energy. SAF is usually made from biomass feedstocks.