The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate has officially come into force, making the UK among the first countries globally to enshrine it in law.

Following 1 January announcement, the UK has set an ambitious target requiring 10% of all jet fuel to be sustainable by 2030.

The initiative, part of the government’s green aviation strategy, will utilise sources such as household waste and cooking oil to produce SAF.

By law, this fuel must constitute at least 2% of all jet fuel for UK departures from 2025.

The government has established plans to supply approximately 1.2 million tonnes of SAF annually to the UK airline industry by 2030.

Putting this into perspective, that would be enough fuel to circle the globe 3,000 times.

Aviation Minister, Mike Kane said: “From this moment on, aviation will be a greener, more sustainable form of travel and today marks a significant milestone for the UK SAF industry.”

“With thousands of jobs supporting the UK SAF industry and flying becoming popular than ever,” he added.

The newly formed Jet Zero Task Force first convened on 4 December discussing the mandate.

The government-developed group will chart a path towards cleaner aviation, alongside a confirmed revenue scheme to attract investment in new UK SAF plants.

Duncan McCourt, Chief Executive of Sustainable Aviation, welcomed the introduction of the mandate and said: “SAF is a critical component in the industry’s plan to reach net zero, representing almost 40% of the carbon reduction that will make net zero a reality in 2050.”

Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airlines UK, praised the mandate whilst emphasising the need for expanded feedstock eligibility and cost-reduction incentives. He stressed the importance of the revenue certainty mechanism’s design in enabling increased UK production of advanced fuels “whilst keeping costs as low as possible.”

Transport & Logistics – Driving The Industry Forward