EU Aviation Fuel Rules May Increase Costs and Energy Use

A study from Chalmers University of Technology suggests that current EU regulations for sustainable aviation fuels may inadvertently favor inefficient production methods. By prioritizing certain synthetic fuel categories, the rules could drive investment toward combustion-based pathways rather than more efficient gasification processes. Researchers found that biomass gasification can reduce production costs by up to 46 percent and lower electricity demand by 30 percent compared to combustion alternatives. The study warns that misaligned policy definitions risk locking the industry into more expensive, energy-intensive infrastructure.