SAF Feedstocks

A variety of feedstock can be used to produce SAF. Under the CORSIA framework, such feedstocks are broadly categorized into five categories:

Primary and co-products are the main products of a production process. These products have significant economic value and elastic supply, (i.e., there is evidence that there is a causal link between feedstock prices and the quantity of feedstock being produced).
By-products are secondary products with inelastic supply and economic value.
Wastes are materials with inelastic supply and no economic value. A waste is any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard. Raw materials or substances that have been intentionally modified or contaminated to meet this definition are not covered by this definition.
Residues are secondary materials with inelastic supply and little economic value.

Under the CORSIA framework, by-products, wastes, and residues are entitled to an ILUC value of zero on the calculation of the Life cycle emission value of the SAF. Primary and co-products can also be entitled to zero ILUC value with the use of low LUC risk methodologies defined in Chapter 5 of the ICAO document "CORSIA Methodology for Calculating Actual Life Cycle Emissions Values".

The following table lists the feedstocks that are currently recognized in the ICAO CORSIA framework to produce SAF. Estimatives on economic aspects related to some of these feedstocks, such as yield and costs, are provided in the ICAO SAF Rules of Thumb.

ICAO is constantly assessing new feedstocks for SAF production, the process to request the consideration of a new feedstock is described in the CORSIA Supporting Document “CORSIA Eligible Fuels - Life Cycle Assessment Methodology”

References:

ICAO document "CORSIA default life cycle emission values for CORSIA eligible fuels " ("Default LCA values")
ICAO document "CORSIA Methodology for Calculating Actual Life Cycle Emissions Values" ("actual LCA methodology")

feedstock	Classification	Reference
Palm fatty acid distillate	processing by product	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology" Table 2, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Technical Corn oil	processing by product	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology" Table 2, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Tallow	Waste	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology" Table 2, ICAO document "Default LCA values" Table 6, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Beef Tallow	processing by product	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology" Table 2, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Non-Standard Coconuts	processing by product / agricultural by product	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology" Table 2, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Poultry Fat	processing by product	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology" Table 2, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Lard Fat	processing by product	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology" Table 2, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Mixed Animals Fat	processing by product	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology" Table 2, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Molasses	co-product	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology" Table 3, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Brassica carinata oil	Main product	Table 2, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Camelina oil	Main product	Table 2, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Corn grain	Main product	Table 3, ICAO document "Default LCA values" Table 4, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Jatropha oil	Main product	Table 2, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Miscanthus (herbaceous energy crops)	Main product	Table 1, ICAO document "Default LCA values" Table 3, ICAO document "Default LCA values" Table 4, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Palm oil	Main product	Table 2, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Poplar (short-rotation woody crops)	Main product	Table 1, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Rapeseed oil	Main product	Table 2, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Soybean oil	Main product	Table 2, ICAO document "Default LCA values" Table 6, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Sugar beet	Main product	Table 5, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Sugarcane	Main product	Table 3, ICAO document "Default LCA values" Table 4, ICAO document "Default LCA values" Table 5, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Switchgrass (herbaceous energy crops)	Main product	Table 1, ICAO document "Default LCA values" Table 3, ICAO document "Default LCA values" Table 4, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Bagasse	agricultural residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Cobs	agricultural residue / processing residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Husks	agricultural residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Manure	agricultural residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Nut shells	agricultural residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Stalks	agricultural residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Stover	agricultural residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Straw	agricultural residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Bark	forestry residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Branches	forestry residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Cutter shavings	forestry residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Leaves	forestry residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Needles	forestry residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Pre- commercial thinnings	forestry residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Slash	forestry residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Tree tops	forestry residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Crude glycerine	processing residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Crude Tall Oil	processing residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Empty palm fruit bunches	processing residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Forestry processing residues	processing residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Palm oil mill effluent	processing residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Sewage sludge	processing residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Tall oil pitch	processing residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Municipal solid waste (MSW)	waste	Table 1, ICAO document "Default LCA values" Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Used cooking oil	waste	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology" Table 2, ICAO document "Default LCA values" Table 6, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Waste gases	waste	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology" Table 4, ICAO document "Default LCA values"
Wheat Starch Slurry	processing residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Residue Gases	processing residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Spent Bleaching Earth	processing residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Coconut testa	processing residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Dry coconut pulp	processing residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Sugarcane vinasse	processing residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Sugarcane filter cake	processing residue	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Pangasius fish scrap	processing by product	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Industrial waste of biogenic origin	waste	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"
Construction and demolition waste of biogenic origin	waste	Table 1, ICAO document "Actual LCA methodology"