Heathrow urges government to make SAF more viable

Heathrow Airport has called on the UK government to help make sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) more commercially viable in the country.
SAF cuts the amount of carbon emissions released during air travel but is currently several times more expensive to produce than traditional fuel.
The government has said it wants five SAF plants under construction by 2025.
SAF is produced from sustainable sources such as agricultural waste and used cooking oil. It is claimed to reduce carbon emissions by up to 70%.
Heathrow runs a scheme which provides SAF to airlines and covers up to half the extra cost through a multi-million pound fund. However, last year only 0.5% of the fuel bought at the airport was through the initiative.
It announced that it aims to triple its SAF usage this year, raising the figure to 1.5%.
However, the major airport fears a tax credit scheme in the US designed to lure investors in SAF production has put the UK at risk of missing out.
Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye called for more government support to encourage greater SAF use.
"It's about economic opportunity, creating jobs here in the UK and securing the country's future energy supplies," Mr Holland-Kaye said.
He added that although Heathrow had "led the way on decarbonising aviation" with its green aviation fuel scheme, the SAF used by the airport was "currently all imported".
"If Britain really wants to compete with the scale of ambition and the credible action seen from the US and Europe, supportive government policy is needed and it is needed now," he said.
The government has already proposed airlines operating in the UK must ensure SAF makes up at least 10% of their fuel by 2030. It has also invested in the development of SAF plants.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "The UK's sustainable aviation fuels programme is one of the most comprehensive in the world.
"Our £165m Advanced Fuel Fund is kickstarting production, with five projects already chosen to receive funding, and we are working at pace to put our mandate policy into law."