Sustainable aviation fuel development: case study in Indonesia

Abstract

The usage of fossil fuel in aviation contributes to 2% of CO2 emission globally. Though the industry keeps improving the efficiency of the aircraft, the increase in activity offset this improvement. The usage of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) may become a potential option in order to reduce emissions. SAF immediate compatibility and low emission become the main attraction for its usage. Indonesia in order to fulfill its NZE commitment is currently developing its own biofuel. This study’s objective is to obtain information on SAF or biofuel development in Indonesia by discussion with experts and stakeholders related to aviation and fuel development. By conducting this study it is known that the development of biofuel in Indonesia has successfully resulted in two products, J2.0 and J2.4, biofuel developed based on palm oil. Though these fuels have been certified domestically, their implementation still faces several issues, such as the sustainability aspect related to the CORSIA scheme, the production volume and availability, and potential price surge. Therefore through this study several recommendations are presented in the hope to accelerate the implementation. Although the direction of SAF development in Indonesia is through the usage of Palm oil as its main feedstock, Indonesia also has used cooking oil (UCO) and Sugarcane as potential feedstock to be explored. The development and implementation for these feedstock into SAF is necessary as a possible solution for reducing the greenhouse gas emission, therefore a support through financial, technological, and regulation means are necessary to be provided by all stakeholders.