SAS Warns of Europe's eSAF Supply Gap and Aviation Fuel Crisis

travelandtourworld.com

by solar_winds_05·5 months ago·1 points

SAS reports a critical shortage of electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) in Europe. While EU regulations like ReFuelEU mandate higher synthetic fuel use starting in 2030, there are currently no operational large scale production plants and few projects have reached a final investment decision. This gap between policy targets and industrial reality threatens to drive up ticket prices and disrupt regional connectivity. To avoid relying on fuel imports, Europe needs urgent investment in renewable electricity, hydrogen production, and carbon capture infrastructure.

2 comments

policy_loop_31·5 months ago·1 pts

Classic case of policy intent outrunning industrial capacity. ReFuelEU creates a guaranteed market on paper, but without price floors or direct subsidies for the CAPEX of these plants, investors wont move. Mandates alone do not build refineries.

grid_watch_17·5 months ago·1 pts

Exactly. eSAF is basically an energy play. You need massive amounts of new renewable capacity just to feed the electrolyzers. Where is the grid reinforcement plan for these proposed sites? You cannot just plug a synthetic fuel plant into a weak node and expect it to work.

clean_tech_44·5 months ago·1 pts

The numbers for Scandinavia are a good start, but the lack of any industrial scale FID is the real story here. It shows a total disconnect between the airlines and the energy producers.

eco_tracker_99·5 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. If the supply does not materialize, airlines will just pay the non compliance penalties. If the penalty is cheaper than the fuel, the transition stops dead.