The current techno-economic, environmental, policy status and perspectives of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)

Abstract

A worldwide shift towards environmentally friendly renewable fuels is required to mitigate the environmental impacts of fossil fuel use in the aviation industry. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), derived from renewable bio-based resources, has recently received considerable interest as a viable alternative to non-renewable fossil fuels. In addition, the SAF offers a considerably smaller CO2 emission footprint compared to fossil fuels. However, despite the environmental benefits, SAF has high production costs and is not currently economically competitive. Therefore, various organizational initiatives, government incentives, and effective policies are required to promote the widespread use of SAF by the aviation sector. The incentives are also necessary to make SAF competitive with fossil fuels by improving the technical understanding of the production processes, exploring the supply chain needs, and reducing the uncertainties and risks associated with starting commercial-scale biorefinery projects. This review examines the current techno-economic status of SAF technology worldwide. It also explores past and present organizational initiatives and policies implemented for the aviation industry's broader acceptance of SAF. The environmental aspects of SAF use, such as carbon offset and water use, are also critically analyzed in this work. A comprehensive comparative analysis of several bio-conversion methods using various feedstocks is also explored. This review also identifies several hurdles and areas that need further research to shift towards SAF from conventional fuels successfully. While technical, economic, and policy challenges remain, SAF can significantly reduce the CO2 emissions from the aviation sector and contribute substantially to climate change solutions.