Ramping up roadmaps under ICAO’s ACT-SAF initiative

On December 7, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) celebrates its 80th anniversary. In addition to enabling global connectivity, the organization has been at the forefront of aviation decarbonization through its support of the industry’s net-zero emissions goal by 2050, as well as its aspiration to reduce carbon emissions by 5% for international aviation by 2030 using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and other cleaner energy sources.

Boeing supports ICAO’s sustainability efforts and in 2023 the company joined the ICAO Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ACT-SAF) initiative. ACT-SAF creates opportunities for countries to develop their full potential in SAF development and deployment.

In support of ICAO’s initiative, Boeing has helped develop region-specific roadmaps and SAF feedstock analyses together with local partners to help scale SAF production locally to help meet demand globally. These roadmaps help to identify which feedstocks are the most cost-effective, and politically and technically achievable, in any particular country.

Our studies span the UK, Ireland, India, UAE, Australia & New Zealand, Brazil, South Africa, Ethiopia, Japan and a recently launched SAF feedstock assessment for Southeast Asia.

“These roadmaps inform three things,” said Brian Moran, chief sustainability officer at Boeing. “They inform policy, including incentives and other measures, such as revenue certainty mechanisms that de-risk investment in SAF facilities for producers. They inform technology, and which feedstock and production pathways are the most promising to scale up. And thirdly, they inform financing and opportunity for investors.”

Key takeaways from Boeing-sponsored SAF roadmaps:

Japan

• A SAF feedstock study on Japan, undertaken by strategic consultancy firm ICF and led by Boeing, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and SMBC Aviation Capital, identified potential for Japan to produce up to 441 million gallons (1.67 billion liters) of SAF by 2030.
• Promising feedstocks include woody biomass, municipal solid waste and renewable electricity.
• This could allow the country to nearly meet its 2030 goal of using 10% SAF for international flights.

Southeast Asia

• RSB’s report on Southeast Asia noted the region boasts significant potential to produce SAF due to its abundant bio-based feedstock resources such as agricultural residues, sugars, municipal waste and some energy crops.
• The region’s bio-based feedstock capacity could produce 34.2 billion gallons (129.4 billion liters) of SAF annually by 2050, or about 12% of global SAF demand.
• 75% of the potential SAF feedstock can be sourced from post-consumer and agricultural waste.
• Making up 37% of total feedstock contribution, the most voluminous feedstocks are rice husks and straw.

Australia

• CSIRO’s report on Australia illustrates that through a combination of feedstocks and technologies, local feedstocks can meet a large and growing portion of Australia’s jet fuel demand. Australia will have enough feedstocks to produce 60% of local jet fuel demand, growing to 90% by 2050, according to the forecast.
• In November 2024, Boeing and CSIRO published an update called the SAF State of Play. The study found several projects are progressing towards SAF blending and production, including Boeing’s investment into Wagner Sustainable Fuels to build Australia’s first blending facilities.
  • Federal and State government action is driving policy development and de-risking investment, while Australia’s finance sector is increasingly engaged in developing innovative funding approaches to scale SAF.

Brazil

• A RSB report on Brazil determined huge potential in sugarcane bagasse and wood residues, particularly in the south-eastern part of the country.
• The main findings suggest the potential for SAF production from the mapped residues in Brazil is up to 2.4 billion gallons (9.08 billion liters), which is around 125% of the current fossil kerosene (Jet A) consumption in Brazil.

“Scaling SAF sustainably is not one size fits all, so these roadmaps are incredibly important to guide these investments,” said Moran. “They unlock guidance as to where we should put precious resources while guiding governments on national priorities they can help advance.”