Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions by SAF pathway

Most of today’s SAF is produced using HEFA technology. Meeting future demand requires scaling up SAF from scalable, non-food sources and new technologies.

When made from waste materials like used cooking oil or tallow, SAF can cut life-cycle emissions by up to 80% compared to fossil jet fuel, but these materials are limited. To meet growing demand, it is possible that SAF could instead be produced from crops—like corn and palm oil— which can lead to emissions similar to or higher than fossil fuels.

Achieving meaningful long-term decarbonization will require scaling up advanced pathways—such as e-fuels from renewable electricity and second-generation bio-SAF from cellulosic biomass. These SAFs could offer deeper reductions and greater scalability, if successfully developed.

Source: Understanding the greenhouse gas emissions of different SAF pathways