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Projects and agreements on sustainable aviation fuel in Asia

Neste announced on Thursday that South Korea's GS Caltex and Japanese trading house Itochu, along with major sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), producer Neste, have delivered their first batch of fuel to Japan.

Fuel is seen as essential for aviation to achieve its goal of zero net carbon emissions by the year 2050. However, its adoption is still in its early stages.

The following is an overview of the most recent SAF projects in Asia-Pacific.

SOUTH KOREAN

South Korea wants to use about 1% of SAF on all international flights departing by 2027.

Six South Korean Airlines, including the flag carrier Korean Air have started, or plan to start, mixing 1% SAF into fuel for one international route every week, starting this year.

SK Energy completed its SAF production unit in September, and will supply fuel to Korean Air passenger aircraft.

In partnership with trading house Itochu, GS Caltex delivered its first SAF cargo to Japan, blending neat SAF from Neste with GS Caltex, on September 19.

TAIWAN

Taiwan's civil aviation administration encourages its airlines to use a maximum of 5% SAF as part of their fuel program starting in 2030. However, there is currently no mandate.

Taiwan's civil aircraft administration has said that Refiner CPC will import SAF during the first half next year.

INDONESIA

Indonesia has mandated that 3% of jet fuel be blended with biofuel by 2020, but the implementation has been delayed.

Pertamina, the state-owned Indonesian company, issued in June its first tender for SAF to be delivered by August.

In October 2023, Indonesia made its first commercial jet fuel flight using palm oil blended fuel after a test flight on an aircraft that flew from West Java (Java) to Jakarta.

SINGAPORE

Singapore announced its SAF goal in February. It will aim to achieve a 1% target by 2026, and then increase it to 3% to 5% in 2030. This is subject to the global development and wider adoption of SAF.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore intends to introduce a SAF levied for the purchase of fuel. This levy will be based on a fixed amount based upon the SAF target at the time and the projected SAF price.

Singapore Airlines Group ordered 1,000 metric tonnes of SAF in May from Neste, marking the first time that the refiner has supplied this fuel to the Changi Airport.

As of September 2024 there is no SAF mandate for China. However, the Civil Aviation Authority of China has launched in July the first SAF technical centre in the country that focuses on product research and standard setting.

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand has no SAF mandate as of September 2024.

Air New Zealand delivered a 500,000-litre shipment of SAF produced by EcoCeres, based in China, to Wellington in June. This was the first time that SAF had been delivered to Wellington.

MALAYSIA

Malaysia's National Energy Transition Roadmap 2023 stated plans to implement a 1% SAF blend mandate, but did not provide a timeframe. The target will increase to 47% by the year 2050.

The Malaysian state-owned oil company Petronas, and Japan's Idemitsu Kosan Co. signed a preliminary deal to work together on the development and distribution SAF by October 2023.

India targets a 1% SAF content in aviation fuel in 2027. This will double to 2% by 2028. SAF targets initially will apply to international flights.

Indian Oil Corp announced in June 2023 that it would build a SAF plant in Haryana with LanzaJet. The plant will produce 80,000 metric tons of SAF per year. The company has a partnership with LanzaTech to convert waste gas into ethanol and jet fuel.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry announced that Japan will mandate that 10% of the aviation fuel used for international flights using Japanese Airports must be sustainable by 2030.

Fuji Oil and Itochu Corp. have begun planning the production of bio-SAF in Sodegaura Refinery by May 2023.

All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines have increased their SAF purchase by adding products from U.S. manufacturer Raven SR and trading house Itochu.

Mitsubishi, Boeing and TotalEnergies are also exploring SAF production.

PHILIPPINES

Cebu Pacific will fly a plane powered by Neste's 35% SAF blend in September 2022. Shell Eastern Petroleum signed a strategic partnership to increase the availability of SAF for its fleet. However, there is no mandate from the government yet.

AUSTRALIA

Qantas Group will launch the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition in November 2022 in collaboration with Australia Post and Woodside Energy, as well as KPMG Australia, Macquarie Group the local arm Boston Consulting Group, and KPMG Australia.

Qantas said that in March 2023, they would invest A$2,000,000 ($1.34,000,000) jointly in a biofuel refining plant being built in Queensland State in Australia to convert agricultural waste products into SAF.

Australia has not yet been given a mandate. Reporting by Cassandra Yap; editing by Kevin Liffey & Jamie Freed

(source: Reuters)