16 September 2024
On 12 September 2024, we successfully held the 4th Technical Stakeholder Meeting on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), with over 250 participants. Thank you all for making this event a success! The meeting featured two main sections: the first focused on updates from ISCC and regulatory perspectives on scaling certified SAF, while the second addressed supply and demand challenges.
After a warm welcome from our committee co-chairs, Dario Formenti (Sustainability Manager, ISCC) opened the presentations with updates on ISCC’s SAF initiatives. “As of 12 September, we’ve issued 194 valid ISCC CORSIA certificates, reflecting the growing demand for SAF certification,” he stated. This rise in demand is partly driven by corporate commitments to climate targets, as well as the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI) recognising ISCC certification for SAF compliance.
As of 12 September, we’ve issued 194 valid ISCC CORSIA certificates, reflecting the growing demand for SAF certification.”
Dario emphasised the importance of sustainability certification in ensuring that SAF production genuinely reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. He noted that certification ensures sustainable feedstock production, traceability, and life cycle emission reductions.
Following Dario, Thomas Blanc (Aviation Strategy Consultant, ICF France) underscored the crucial role of SAF in achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. He highlighted that SAF demand is expected to reach 16-18 million tons by 2030, driven by new policies and national targets. However, he also pointed out three major challenges: policy uncertainty, market and technological barriers, and competition with the more established oil and gas industry.
One of the key moments of the meeting was a panel discussion on “Driving the Uptake of Sustainably Certified SAF,” moderated by SAF experts Ewa Oney (Team Lead DG MOVE, European Commission), Ben Baxter (Senior Policy Advisor, UK Department for Transport), and Prem Lobo (Energy Division Manager, Federal Aviation Administration). The panel provided regulatory updates from the UK, US, and EU, and shared their outlook on the future of the SAF market.
In the second part of the meeting, Azim Bin Norazmi (Climate Policy Manager, International Air Transport Association) discussed the complexities of the SAF supply chain from an airline perspective. He stressed the need for robust traceability frameworks to facilitate certification, accounting, and reporting.
Adding a US-focused viewpoint, Ryan Flamerich (Senior Manager of Environmental Sustainability, United Airlines) shared how the airline has been a leader in SAF adoption, with over a decade of purchasing agreements. United Airlines, the largest SAF purchaser in the US, has its SAF certified under ISCC PLUS and ISCC EU.
On the supply side, Melanie Harrer (Head of New Business & Portfolio Development, OMV) discussed the current state of SAF production, certification processes from a supplier’s perspective, and opportunities for growth despite existing challenges.
Finally, Marianne Csaky (Manager, Sustainability & Regulatory Affairs, LanzaJet) presented LanzaJet’s success as the first commercial alcohol-to-jet SAF production facility certified by ISCC CORSIA. She emphasised ISCC’s pivotal role in their supply chain and reiterated their commitment to decarbonizing the aviation sector.
The meeting concluded with the election of new co-chairs. Congratulations to Karyn Jones and Azim Bin Norazmi on their appointments! We look forward to their contributions and to seeing everyone at the next meeting.
All presentations are available on our website. Thank you again for your participation!