Japan eyes domestic production of SAF

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:25 JST, October 1, 2022

The government on Friday took a step toward domestic production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by establishing a working group involving more than 10 companies, including petroleum and chemical manufacturers.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism expert group will strive to create a cooperative framework to obtain international certification for the fuel and begin production in fiscal 2025.

SAF is made from used cooking oil and other types of discarded waste and is said to reduce CO2 emissions by 60% to 80% compared to crude oil-derived jet fuel and is attracting attention as a next-generation fuel.

Airlines seeking recognition for their SAF-related decarbonization efforts must be certified by a private organization designated by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations.

The government has set a goal of replacing 10% of domestic airlines’ aviation fuel with SAF by 2030. By producing SAF in Japan, domestic airlines will be able to procure a stable supply of low-cost SAF.