Boeing and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials will conduct a joint study to scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production in Southeast Asia. SAF will play a critical role in enabling sustainable growth and meeting commercial aviation’s goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.  

SAF has the potential to reduce carbon emissions over the fuel’s life cycle by up to 80 percent compared to petroleum jet fuel. While the current global SAF supply accounts for only around 0.1 percent of jet fuel consumption, the Asia-Pacific region can play a crucial role in SAF production with a potential of 40 percent of global feedstock supply.

Phase one of the study will evaluate whether SAF production could scale sustainably in Southeast Asia based on the availability and sustainability of feedstocks across the region. The study will also assess the sustainable feedstock policy environment, as well as the technical and economic viability of main SAF production pathways. Findings and recommendations will be published in the first quarter of 2024.

“We are excited to start a new partnership with Boeing in Southeast Asia, looking at supporting the regional aviation sector to decarbonize in a way that goes beyond emission reductions and also considers wider sustainability impact on the environment and society,” said Arianna Baldo, programme director for RSB.

Boeing is acting on its commitment to deliver 100 percent SAF-compatible airplanes by 2030 and expand the SAF supply it’s scaling regionally and globally.

“It’s imperative to expand the supply of SAF to decarbonize aviation, as they are safe and used every day as a drop-in replacement for fossil-based jet fuel,” said Jacqueline Lam, sustainability lead for Boeing in Southeast Asia. “The findings of the study will provide an evidence-based, data-driven set of recommendations for promoting the SAF industry in Southeast Asia.”

Boeing and RSB have established an advisory group of key stakeholders including policymakers, companies and environmental and financial institutions to provide subject matter expertise. Additional stakeholders will be consulted as the study progresses. This project builds on the long-standing partnership between Boeing and RSB to explore SAF feedstock opportunities in different regions of the world including in Ethiopia, South Africa and Brazil.