Slow Rise of Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Although Japanese airlines have been experimenting with sustainable aviation fuel for over a decade, the country’s uptake of the fuel has remained sluggish.

Sustainable aviation fuel is most commonly made from feedstocks, such as cooking oil or waste oils derived from animals and plants. Waste from households and businesses are also used, and include materials like plastic, cardboard, and food scraps. In contrast, traditional jet fuel is usually made from kerosene and gasoline, which are fossil-fuel based.

Beyond Petroleum (known commonly as BP) reports that using sustainable aviation fuel can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80%. However, this largely depends on effective government and corporate support.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) recommended that Japanese airlines reduce their carbon emissions by replacing 10% of jet fuel consumed with sustainable fuel by 2030.

Of course, this means that even if Japanese airlines meet this goal, 90% of jet fuel will still be carbon-emissions heavy.

According to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), between 2012 and 2019, carbon emissions from the country’s aircraft transportation sector amounted to roughly 10 million metric tons annually. If MLIT’s target is reached by 2030, and this trend continues, that means the Japanese aircraft industry would still be producing 9 million metric tons of carbon each year.

One of the most prominent concerns in the sustainable aviation fuel market is cost of production. According to Simple Flying, an aviation news service, “In 2020, the overall cost of jet fuel was [US$0.5] per liter. Meanwhile, the cost of [sustainable aviation fuel] was [US$1.1] per liter.” This means that sustainable aviation fuel costs more than double the price of traditional jet fuel.

AirInsight Group, a commercial aviation news and analysis firm, has proposed that in order for Japan’s airline industry to become net zero, 2.5 billion liters of sustainable aviation fuel will be needed in 2050. In contrast, the fuel accounts for just 0.03% of current demand.

Japan Airlines (JAL) recently agreed, as part of its membership in the Oneworld Alliance, to purchase over 20 million liters of sustainable aviation fuel annually from 2027-2032. The fuel will be purchased from US-based biofuel company Gevo.

While the production lifecycle of sustainable aviation fuel may emit less carbon compared to traditional jet fuel, some emissions will remain.

ICF, a global advisory and digital services provider, warns that–in addition to its own emissions during flight–sustainable aviation fuel may also involve emissions during transportation, if the vehicles used and their fuel sources are not carbon neutral.

Furthermore, there is concern that if demand for plant-based feedstocks grows, agricultural problems and deforestation rates could also increase.

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