By 2030, Asia-Pacific airlines want to use 5% green fuel

 By 2030, Asia-Pacific airlines want to use 5% green fuel

In an effort to cut carbon emissions and send a message to fuel providers, the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines (AAPA) has established a goal for its members to use 5% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030. 

The decision was made public at the 67th conference of presidents of the association, addressing issues including expensive and scarce SAF.

The industry is emphasizing that we are not dependent on feedstock or route. Whereas the feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel is widely accessible in the form of garbage and agricultural and forestry residues, fossil fuels are limited to certain regions of the globe. AAPA director general Subhas Menon said, "We expect oil majors to provide the transition as well as governments to provide necessary foundation in the form of subsidies and incentives."

The aim of 5% SAF consumption is shared by all 14 airlines that make up AAPA, including the recently admitted Air India. 

India's Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in May that it planned to require domestic carriers to use 1% SAF by 2025. Prior to this, the ministry of civil aviation had previously announced intentions to boost the percentage of sustainable aviation fuel blended to 2% by 2026 and 5% by 2030.

But unless the supply is guaranteed, a requirement for airlines may not be effective, Menon said.

The European Union (EU) has responsibilities. When SAF is not available, what use are mandates? We should concentrate on the supply side at this time because mandates are absurd. Although everyone claims that it's a chicken and egg scenario, I disagree. Unfortunately, there is now not enough gasoline readily accessible airlines to use," Menon said.

Member airlines also emphasized the need for a legislative framework that would lessen the difference in cost between jet fuel and green fuel.

A fair and impartial playing field is crucial for all of us. Among the first airlines in Asia to pledge to use 10% SAF by 2030 is Cathay-Pacific. Grace Cheung, general manager of sustainability at Cathay Pacific, said, "We want to do the appropriate thing, but we don't want to be penalized when that is so much more expensive than fossil jet fuel."

A few SAF demonstration flights have been place in India; in 2018, SpiceJet conducted a flight with a 75% aviation turbine fuel mix with 25% biojet fuel. In September of last year, the Tata Group Airlines and CSIR-IIP inked a memorandum of intent to work together on the development, testing, and use of sustainable aviation fuels. The first domestic commercial customer flight in the nation was conducted by AirAsia India, which is now a part of Air India Express, in May 2023, including up to 1% SAF.

Three percent of carbon emissions worldwide come from aviation. The International Civil Aviation Organization has a net-zero emissions objective by 2050 and a carbon-neutral growth target starting in 2019. 

SAF production reached over 300 million ltr in 2022, although as of right now, the International Air Transport Association reports that it barely accounts for 0.1% of aviation fuel consumption.

The Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines invited the correspondent to Singapore.