Reducing the costs and risks in bringing SAF to the aviation market
Currently, new aviation fuels must undergo multiple stages of fit-for-purpose testing at significant cost to the producer to be ready for commercial use. Although essential, the cost involved and the complexity of navigating the required process toward qualification is a significant barrier. This is where the UK SAF Clearing House will help.
Our mission
The key objectives of the UK SAF Clearing House are to:
Facilitate testing and qualification of SAF in the UK for initial assessment and optimisations (pre-screening)
- Support evaluation and testing to ASTM D4054 protocols
- Provide assistance to de-risk the testing process for SAF producers
- Accelerate deployment of SAF to support the target of 10% SAF by 2030
- Signal the UK’s commitment to building a thriving domestic SAF industry
- Collaborate with other SAF Clearing Houses to share data and support the global development of SAF
Following a commitment laid out in the UK Government’s October 2021 Net Zero Strategy, the UK Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Clearing House was launched in November 2023 by the Department for Transport (DfT). The UK SAF Clearing House aims to support the UK’s emerging sustainable aviation fuels sector.
The aviation industry plays an important role in responding to the climate emergency, and is rising to the challenge, with emissions targets, increasingly more efficient aircraft and the first global, sectoral carbon market-based measure, CORSIA.
A strong and growing demand for SAF
There are some very compelling drivers for the industry to reduce their emissions:
Jet Zero Strategy: The UK aviation industry aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.- UK ETS: Airlines are required to hold allowances for their emissions as part of the UK Emissions Trading System (UK ETS) which sets a cap on carbon emissions from the aviation sector.
- CORSIA: the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation is a global market-based measure established by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) that requires airlines to offset their international flight emissions above a specified baseline. CORSIA recognises the importance of SAF, and this opens up a global market for fuels technologies.
SAF taking off at UK airports
SAF are a key part of the solution for the aviation industry to reduce its carbon emissions. UK airports are already trialling and investing in SAF infrastructure to enable them to meet their ambitious net zero plans. These include the UK's three largest airports:
London Heathrow Airport: SAF has been rolled out and the first SAF flight took off from the airport in June 2021. 60% of Heathrow’s airlines by capacity have committed to turning at least 10% of their fuel supply into SAF by 2030.- London Gatwick Airport: SAF used in all Easyjet flights during the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.
- Manchester Airport: set to become the UK’s first airport to have a direct SAF jet fuel supply
