Global SAF push gains momentum as EU mandates begin in 2025
EU SAF blending started at 2% in January 2025 as global output hit 1 million tonnes, still only 0.3% of jet fuel demand.
The European Union’s ReFuelEU Aviation rule took effect in January 2025, starting a 2% sustainable aviation fuel blending mandate that will rise through 2050. ChemAnalyst said SAF can cut lifecycle carbon emissions by around 80% versus conventional jet fuel and can be blended into existing fuel systems without changes at airports or on aircraft.
The European Commission says ReFuelEU Aviation is part of the Fit for 55 package and the bloc’s single most powerful tool to cut aviation CO2 emissions. EASA said 2024 was the first reporting year under the regulation, with 67% of aviation fuel suppliers and 74% of aircraft operators in scope submitting data. Those 2025 filings will be used to assess compliance with the 2% obligation.
Supply is growing, but from a small base. IATA said SAF production reached 1 million tonnes, or 1.3 billion liters, in 2024, double the 0.5 million tonnes made in 2023. Even so, that volume was about 0.3% of global jet fuel production. IATA projected output of 2.1 million tonnes in 2025, equal to 0.7% of total jet fuel production, and said growth remains too slow to match aviation’s decarbonization goals.
Policy support is turning some of the demand signal into contracted gallons. The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service set a SAF credit for fuel sold or used after December 31, 2022 and before January 1, 2025, while the Alternative Fuels Data Center says the Clean Fuel Production Credit starts January 1, 2025 at $0.35 per gallon for SAF. The International Energy Agency said the United Kingdom legislated SAF targets of 2% in 2025, 10% in 2030 and 22% in 2040.
ICAO said technical analysis shows SAF has the greatest potential to reduce CO2 emissions from international aviation, and member states reaffirmed the sector’s net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 goal. ICAO’s framework, alongside the European Union’s mandate, the U.S. tax credit structure and the UK’s binding targets, is shifting SAF from a policy promise toward mandatory offtake, but the 2024 production figures show the gap between ambition and supply remains wide.
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