30bn litre tipping point possible in global SAF production by 2030: IATA

30bn litre tipping point possible in global SAF production by 2030: IATA

The production of sustainable aviation fuels could reach 30bn litres by 2030, which would be a tipping point for SAF production and utilisation, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Tuesday.

At its 78th AGM that concluded in Doha Tuesday, IATA called upon governments to urgently put in place large-scale incentives to rapidly expand the use of sustainable aviation fuels as aviation pursues its commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

To fulfil aviation’s net zero commitment, current estimates are for SAF to account for 65% of aviation’s carbon mitigation in 2050. That would require an annual production capacity of 449 billion litres.

Investments are in place to expand SAF annual production from the current 125mn litres to 5bn by 2025.

With effective government incentives, production could reach 30bn litres by 2030, which would be a tipping point for SAF production and utilisation.

“Governments don’t need to invent a playbook. Incentives to transition electricity production to renewable sources like solar or wind worked. As a result, clean energy solutions are now cheap and widely available. With similar incentives for SAF, we could see 30bn litres available by 2030. Though still far from where we need to be, it would be a clear