- The SAF Mandate prioritizes fuels with long-term decarbonization potential, excluding crop-based biofuels.
- Reopening the mandate risks undermining its credibility and investor confidence.
- Meeting the SAF Mandate with crop-based fuels in 2030 would require land equivalent to 4% of UK agricultural land.
- Power-to-liquid fuels could generate up to 60,000 UK jobs by 2050 and £10 billion in annual gross value added.
SAF Mandate Overview
The UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate is designed to drive investment into advanced fuel pathways with strong decarbonization potential. It prioritizes fuels like power-to-liquid (PtL) while excluding crop-based biofuels to maintain policy integrity and investor confidence.
Concerns Over Crop-Based Fuels
Reopening the mandate to include crop-based biofuels could undermine its credibility and weaken investor confidence. The exclusion of crops is deliberate to avoid deforestation and competition with food production, aligning with the EU’s ReFuelEU Aviation framework.
Land Use and Environmental Impact
Using primary crops for aviation fuel links decarbonization to finite agricultural land, risking food production and biodiversity. Meeting the SAF Mandate with crop-based fuels by 2030 would require land equivalent to 4% of UK agricultural land, posing risks to a just transition.
Economic and Strategic Value
Power-to-liquid fuels offer greater long-term economic and strategic value, with potential to create up to 60,000 UK jobs by 2050 and £10 billion in annual gross value added. These fuels can absorb excess renewable generation, supporting aviation decarbonization.
Policy Recommendations
The SAF Mandate should continue to exclude crop-based fuels and focus on scalable, high-integrity pathways. Diluting eligibility rules could reduce investor confidence and undermine the SAF Revenue Certainty Mechanism, risking the UK’s opportunity to establish a domestic second-generation SAF industry.
