CUTTING AVIATION’S CARBON FOOTPRINT
The environmental case for SAF is compelling. Industry estimates suggest it can reduce lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80 per cent compared with conventional jet fuel.
That reduction is significant, especially as analysts project that aviation emissions could more than double by 2050 if left unchecked.
Aircraft engines account for the overwhelming majority of airport-related emissions, according to Ken Lau, head of sustainability at ACI Asia-Pacific and Middle East, which represents over 600 airport members across the two regions.
“The carbon emission from engines accounts for more than 95 per cent of overall airport emissions. That’s why it’s very important for airports to facilitate SAF,” he said.
“SAF is the main solution for now, at least for this decade, to ensure that carbon emissions from engines remain as low as possible.”
The push aligns with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) calls for global net-zero emissions by 2050 to limit global warming.
For long-haul aviation in particular, SAF is widely seen as the most viable near-term decarbonisation pathway, as battery and hydrogen alternatives remain technologically challenging.
CAN SAF BUFFER OIL PRICE SHOCKS?
However, SAF is not yet a silver bullet, especially when it comes to insulating airlines from oil price spikes.
“(SAF) as a tool to buffer the industry against jet fuel price fluctuations … is significantly more challenging because it’s still going to be more expensive in general,” said Ji Yang Lum, biofuels analytics associate director at S&P Global Commodity Insights.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/saf-sustainable-aviation-fuel-air-travel-iran-war-rising-oil-prices-5990766
