Consultation outcome

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

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government
This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Supporting the transition to Jet Zero: creating the UK SAF mandate

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email webmasterdft@dft.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

UK SAF mandate: final stage cost benefit analysis

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email webmasterdft@dft.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

UK SAF mandate: final stage cost benefit analysis dataset

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email webmasterdft@dft.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Detail of outcome

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.


Original consultation

Summary

Proposes the UK sustainable aviation fuel mandate which requires jet fuel suppliers to blend SAF into aviation fuel, from 2025, thereby reducing CO2 emissions.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

Proposes the UK sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate. The SAF mandate will:

  • create demand for SAF
  • achieve greenhouse gas emission savings
  • provide price support for SAF supply

We are seeking views on the:

  • overarching targets to be set for 2030 and beyond
  • targets to supply power to liquid fuels and a cap on hydrotreated esters and fatty acids
  • potential buy-out price, which determines the maximum incentive for supplying SAF
  • eligible fuels and sustainability criteria
  • design of the scheme including:
    • who the obligation applies to
    • how certificates will be issued, traded and used for compliance, and how the obligation will be discharged
  • administrator and enforcement of the scheme
  • interactions with other domestic and international policy makers

This builds on the commitment to introduce a SAF mandate in 2025 requiring at least 10% of jet fuel to be made from sustainable feedstocks by 2030 released in 2022.

Documents

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

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email webmasterdft@dft.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

UK sustainable aviation fuel mandate: consultation-stage cost benefit analysis

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email webmasterdft@dft.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Sustainable aviation fuel mandate dataset

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email webmasterdft@dft.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Updates to this page

Published 30 March 2023
Last updated 25 April 2024 + show all updates
  1. Outcome published.

  2. Added underlying data: Sustainable aviation fuel mandate dataset.

  3. First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page