Japan to increase focus on SAF technology
Japan's campaign to cut greenhouse gas emissions is extending to the skies as the government aims to have airlines replace 10% of their jet fuel with eco-friendlier alternatives by 2030.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is made from waste, biomass or scrap material. While they generate 70% to 90% less carbon dioxide than conventional jet fuel, they can cost up to 10 times as much to produce.
The government plans to set up a public-private committee to consider specific measures to encourage Japanese companies to make and use these fuels.
Domestic production is expected to be key to the government's strategy. Importing SAFs would generate carbon dioxide emissions during transportation, cutting into the benefit of switching to a greener fuel, and the possibility of surging prices presents an increased economic security risk as well.
Efforts to this end are already underway in the private sector. Engineering company JGC Holdings and oil wholesaler Cosmo Oil plan to start up Japan's first commercial SAF production facility in 2025, making up to 30,000 kilolitres of fuel a year.
IHI and Electric Power Development, or J-Power, are working on making SAF from microalgae, aiming to bring it to market around 2030.
JERA, a 50-50 joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power and Chubu Electric Power, has partnered with Mitsubishi Power and Toyo Engineering on a plan to turn woody biomass into fuel.
Airlines used a total of 63,000 kl of SAF worldwide in 2020, equivalent to less than 1% of all jet fuel consumed that year. Supply in Japan, where production is still only in the trial stages, came to only about 300 litres in 2021.
The Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute estimates that Japan could theoretically produce between 7.06 million kl and 13.13 million kl of SAF per year by 2030, depending on whether materials such as biomass are repurposed for this instead of electricity production.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is made from waste, biomass or scrap material. While they generate 70% to 90% less carbon dioxide than conventional jet fuel, they can cost up to 10 times as much to produce.
The government plans to set up a public-private committee to consider specific measures to encourage Japanese companies to make and use these fuels.
Domestic production is expected to be key to the government's strategy. Importing SAFs would generate carbon dioxide emissions during transportation, cutting into the benefit of switching to a greener fuel, and the possibility of surging prices presents an increased economic security risk as well.
Efforts to this end are already underway in the private sector. Engineering company JGC Holdings and oil wholesaler Cosmo Oil plan to start up Japan's first commercial SAF production facility in 2025, making up to 30,000 kilolitres of fuel a year.
IHI and Electric Power Development, or J-Power, are working on making SAF from microalgae, aiming to bring it to market around 2030.
JERA, a 50-50 joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power and Chubu Electric Power, has partnered with Mitsubishi Power and Toyo Engineering on a plan to turn woody biomass into fuel.
Airlines used a total of 63,000 kl of SAF worldwide in 2020, equivalent to less than 1% of all jet fuel consumed that year. Supply in Japan, where production is still only in the trial stages, came to only about 300 litres in 2021.
The Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute estimates that Japan could theoretically produce between 7.06 million kl and 13.13 million kl of SAF per year by 2030, depending on whether materials such as biomass are repurposed for this instead of electricity production.
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