Pathway to net zero aviation: developing the UK sustainable aviation fuel mandate

The sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate will set annual targets on fuel suppliers to blend a proportion of SAF into their fuel supply. It will operate as a tradeable certificate scheme where the supply of SAF is rewarded in proportion to its greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions.

Our response confirms:

• the overall SAF demand will be set at 2% of aviation fuel supplied in 2025, increasing to 10% in 2030 and 22% in 2040
• hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids will be allowed to contribute a maximum amount (100%) of SAF demand in 2025 and 2026, decreasing to 71% in 2030 and 35% by 2040
• a power to liquid (PtL) obligation will be introduced from 2028 at 0.2% of total jet fuel demand and will reach 3.5% of total jet fuel demand in 2040
• the buy-out prices will be set at the equivalent of £4.70 and £5.00 per litre for the main and PtL obligations, respectively
• formal reviews will be conducted and published at least every 5 years, with the first review carried out by 2030
• aviation turbine fuel, aviation gasoline and hydrogen will be eligible for reward providing they meet strict sustainability criteria
• the obligation will be determined on the basis of energy supplied through aviation fuel with the reward of certificates proportionate to GHG savings
• the administration of the scheme will align with the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation as much as possible
• the administrator will have the right to apply proportionate sanctions to ensure all relevant parties are compliant the requirements of the mandate

We have also published a dataset that supports the analysis and an updated cost-benefit analysis, which sets out the quantitative analysis and modelling that underpins our decisions.