Decarbonizing aviation: European Commission to support development of sustainable aviation fuels around the world

The European Commission today announced support for the development of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) under the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels programme (ACT-SAF). In line with the European Green Deal commitment to help partner countries decarbonise, the project will support selected countries with €4 million. The funding will go towards increasing SAF production, feasibility studies and assistance with the certification of these fuels.

Implemented by ICAO and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the project involves 12 partner states: Cameroon, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, India, Kenya, Mauritania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa. This list may be expanded at a later stage.

European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean said: "We estimate that the SAF market will create more than 200,000 additional jobs in the EU, and expect similar benefits for partner countries ramping up their production of sustainable aviation fuels. The EU will continue supporting its partners in their decarbonisation efforts. No country must be left behind as we take global aviation into a new era."

ICAO Secretary General, Juan Carlos Salazar, added: "This new project responds to the global consensus that we need to take concrete actions now to achieve truly sustainable international air connectivity. Access to cleaner energy sources will be a pre-requisite to achieve this long-term global goal, and all States have a part to play in realizing that access through new production and distribution capabilities."

The "Capacity Building for Sustainable Aviation Fuels eligible under CORSIA and in support of achieving net zero emissions by 2050" project is an important step towards a more sustainable aviation sector and a cleaner planet. Sustainable aviation fuels have great potential to decarbonise aviation. Within the EU, the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation promotes ramping up the use of sustainable aviation fuel.