South Africa aims for 50% aviation biofuels by 2020

South African Airways (SAA) is set to explore the implementation of a voluntary carbon offset programme that could also support the development of forestry in South Africa.

The state-owned airline, which works on a global scale, is vulnerable to policies in other countries that impose penalties and taxes on carbon emissions. Public enterprise minister Malusi Gigaba believes that the SAA requires biofuels to make up half of its fuel supply by 2020 to avoid future penalties.

‘This would create a pressing demand for an extremely large quantity of biofuels which can form a base load against which a fully vertically integrated biofuels industry can develop in South Africa as well as in the Southern African region,’ he said.

Gigaba’s department is working with a supply chain and technical working groups to develop a strategy for meeting aviation biofuels requirements, with initial findings set to be released by the end of the third quarter of this year.

Under the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme all airlines flying in EU airspace have to currently pay 15% of their polluting carbon emissions for 2012.