Aviation: Biofuels
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of (a) the availability of global supply of the feedstocks used for sustainable aviation fuel and (b) the amounts of that feedstock the Government has identified as being needed for decarbonisation of (i) road transport and (ii) aviation.
Answered by Keir Mather
As of the 1st of January 2025, a market for low carbon fuels for use in aviation and road transport has been supported under two separate schemes: the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate and the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO).
Targets under both the SAF Mandate and RTFO are set considering global availability of feedstocks and competing demands between transport modes and across sectors of the economy. Any proposals to introduce or change future targets under the RTFO or SAF mandate scheme design will always consider these competing demands.
Accordingly, the Department published a Cost Benefit Analysis for the SAF Mandate, alongside the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) Order 2024 SI No.1187 which introduced the scheme. The Cost Benefit Analysis set out our assessment of the availability of sustainable feedstocks and considered potential feedstock and production constraints. The Department is confident that the SAF Mandate targets have struck the right balance between ambition and deliverability.
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