Main purchasers of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) by total offtake volume, as of February 2024 (Billion Liters)
ICAO
28 Feb 2024
United Airlines is the leading purchaser of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), with total volumes amounting to 14.3B liters. By February 2024, major airlines and cargo carriers have increasingly become key purchasers of SAF, driven by regulatory pressures and growing consumer demand for greener travel options. In September 2023, United Airlines committed to purchasing up to 1B gallons of SAF from Houston-based Cemvita, with Cemvita supplying 50 million gallons annually for over 20 years. The UK government has announced plans to gradually transition to SAFs by 2030, mandating that 10% of all jet fuel used on flights be derived from these sustainable sources. Most airlines anticipate that the gradual shift to more expensive SAFs will lead to higher ticket prices due to the increased fuel costs. Investment in SAFs is expected to grow as the aviation industry aims for carbon neutrality, given that SAFs can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 70%. SAF represents one of the most viable pathways for the aviation industry to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, as hydrogen or electric-powered passenger aircraft are still in the experimental stages.
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