SAF now comprises 2% of fuel on UK flights

The mandate was announced in May last year and requires that SAF must make up at least 2% of all jet fuel in flights taking off from the UK from 2025, growing year-on-year to 10% by 2030 and 22% by 2040.

The government predicted that the targets should see around 1.2 million tonnes of SAF supplied to the UK airline industry each year by 2030.

SAF is produced using materials like household waste or used cooking oil and is said to produce an average of 70% less carbon emissions than traditional fossil-based aviation fuel.

Minister for aviation, Mike Kane, said: “From this moment on, aviation will be a greener, more sustainable form of travel and today marks a significant milestone for the UK SAF industry.

“With thousands of jobs supporting the UK SAF industry and flying becoming popular than ever, the mandate will help deliver our Plan for Change helping to grow the economy and giving people the freedom to travel in a more sustainable way.”

Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airlines UK, added: “The UK mandate is ambitious and scaling SAF production will mean further work to expand eligible feedstocks, incentives to help cut costs and, critically, ensuring the design of the revenue certainty mechanism enables the UK to increase production of advanced fuels this decade whilst keeping costs as low as possible, critical for achieving mandate compliance and avoiding supplier buy-out.”

Revenue certainty mechanism for SAF producers

The government has also confirmed it will introduce a revenue certainty mechanism for SAF producers to attract investment in new plants in the UK.

Working alongside the mandate, it will help to reduce risk, give investors the confidence they need to invest in UK SAF plants and encourage the supply of SAF for the UK aviation sector.

A further consultation on the revenue certainty mechanism will be launched early this year.

Duncan McCourt, chief executive of SAF collective Sustainable Aviation, welcomed the news: “Alongside the mandate, we also need a well-designed revenue certainty mechanism to help accelerate domestic SAF production and support compliance with the mandate, by kickstarting UK SAF production in earnest this decade. We look forward to the upcoming consultation and to the mechanism being delivered into law as soon as possible.”