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Last Monday, the European Parliament passed a bill requiring that by 2050, all aircraft travelling into and out of EU airports use at least 70% sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). On September 13, the measure was approved by the parliament as part of the Fit for 55 initiative.
RefuelEU aviation rules, a new law, require EU airports and fuel suppliers to guarantee that 2% of the fuel delivered is SAF starting in 2025. Every five years, this ratio will rise – by 6% in 2030, 20% in 2035, 34% in 2040, 42% in 2045, and 70% in 2050. Moreover, e-kerosene and other synthetic fuels must make up a set percentage of the fuel mix (1.2% in 2030, 2% in 2032, 5% in 2035, and gradually increasing to 35% in 2050).
The new law received votes from 518 lawmakers, 97 lawmakers opposed it, and 8 lawmakers abstained. The new regulation, according to parliamentary rapporteur José Ramón Bauzá Dáz, is a "tremendous step" towards decarbonizing aircraft. "It is now up to EU governments to put the new regulations into action and support business in order to secure both the cost-effective deployment of sustainable aviation fuels throughout Europe and the achievement of EU goals. Time is of the essence."
The European Parliament's action is appreciated, according to the Air France-KLM Group. A spokeswoman told ch-aviation that the acceptance "marks a milestone that will further decarbonize the industry and will contribute to the usage of SAF in Europe." Completely dedicated to decarbonizing its operations, the Group has taken bold steps towards using sustainable aviation fuels that go above and beyond the requirements outlined in RefuelEU.
The spokesperson added that in order to prevent the risks of traffic shifting to European hubs outside the EU that are not subject to these regulations and carbon leakage, the regulatory framework surrounding decarbonization and sustainable fuels needs to take into account the difficulties of fair competition.
Similar views are held by low-cost airline Ryanair (FR, Dublin International). "The use of SAFs, in the opinion of Ryanair, is the most practical and effective way for aviation to cut emissions in the ensuing decades. We applaud the European Parliament for passing the ReFuelEU regulation's SAF mandates, which will be applicable to all flights leaving Union airports and uphold the "polluter pays" principle "According to their spokeswoman, the airline is committed to using 12.5% SAF by 2030. The representative for Ryanair added that there are still challenges to be solved before considerable amounts of SAF can be produced, including as the difficulty in obtaining feedstock, the high cost, and the protracted certification procedure.
Synthetic fuels, some biofuels made from agricultural or forestry waste, algae, biowaste, leftover cooking oil, and some animal fats are all considered SAFs under the new rule. Fuel made from leftover cooking oil and hydrogen both pass muster. Fuels made from palm and soy resources, as well as fuels based on feed and food crops, are not included in the SAF list.
The new regulations will go into effect on January 1, 2024, with some aspects taking effect on January 1, 2025, pending ratification by the European Council.
-By Lopez Salina| thetransporteronline24| USA
