- The CEO of Frankfurt airport operator Fraport has revealed that the European Union’s producers of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) cannot increase their output.
- The quota will increase to 70 per cent by 2050 and start at 2 per cent of total fuel in 2025.
The CEO of Frankfurt airport operator Fraport has revealed that the producers of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the European Union (EU) cannot increase output fast enough to meet quotas, adding that the new European Commission would have to address the issue.
“There is not enough sustainable fuel to meet the quotas,” Fraport CEO Stefan Schulte said. He noted that Production needs to ramp up faster.
Moreover, the fuel, made from bio-based materials such as used cooking oil or wood chips, could cut carbon emissions by up to 80 percent. This is comparable with conventional fuel and is considered essential to make it more sustainable.
The 27-nation European Union, which will have new leaders of European Commissioners and members of the European Parliament following elections this month, has adopted rules requiring flights departing from EU airports to carry progressively increasing amounts of SAF.
The quota will increase to 70 per cent by 2050 and start at 2 per cent of total fuel in 2025, compared with just 0.2 per cent of global jet fuel use.
One reason for the slow uptake is price: biofuel-based SAF costs three to five times more than traditional jet fuel. SAF producers have complained that they lack certainty about how much fuel to produce and that they could face oversupply issues in the coming years.
Furthermore, the head of the airline industry group IATA, Willie Walsh, has said there is sufficient demand. “Every drop of SAF that’s produced has been used and will be used,” he said last year.
Fraport AG is One of the leading players in the global airport business. Fraport AG offers a wide range of operational and management solutions based on over 95 years of aviation expertise.“Connecting the world with tomorrow”.