Southeast Asia primed to play key role in growth of sustainable aviation fuel industry

The sustainable feedstock assessment, encompassing 11 countries across Southeast Asia, found that the region’s bio-based feedstock capacity can produce approximately 45.7 million metric tonnes of SAF per year by 2050.

Furthermore, approximately 75 per cent of potential SAF feedstock can be sourced from post-consumer and agricultural waste, including cassava, sugarcane, and municipal solid waste. Rice husks and straw are by far the most significant SAF feedstocks in the region when compared to other agricultural residues. Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines’ total feedstock availability accounts for about 90 per cent of the region’s SAF supply capacity.

“This research affirms Southeast Asia’s diverse SAF feedstock availability and immense potential for helping meet global demand for SAF,” said Sharmine Tan, Boeing’s regional sustainability lead for Southeast Asia.

“With regional governments and the industry working together on sustainability polices and infrastructure investment, scaling local production and building a regional SAF capability provides Southeast Asia with an exciting opportunity to help shape a more sustainable future of flight while protecting its environment and growing its economy.”

Unblended, or “neat” SAF, which is totally free of fossil fuels, offers the largest potential to reduce aviation’s carbon emissions over the next 30 years, as it can reduce emissions over the fuel’s lifecycle by up to 84 per cent. In 2023, SAF only accounted for 0.2 per cent of global commercial fuel use.

“Our research considers not only the potential volumes of feedstock available in Southeast Asia, but also their environmental and social sustainability in terms of impacts on deforestation, water, and food security,” said Arianna Baldo, RSB’s programme director. “These results can help guide future SAF feedstock supply, including the exploration of other agricultural and industrial waste materials.”

Boeing is working locally to scale SAF globally through region and country-specific roadmaps and feedstock analyses with local partners and governments. The company’s efforts span over a dozen countries worldwide, including Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, and contribute to the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels Programme.

Boeing has partnered with stakeholders in Southeast Asia for over 75 years, building aerospace and defence capabilities in the region, with offices in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. This region has one of the world’s fastest-growing commercial aeroplane markets, and its defence needs are rapidly expanding.

The RSB is a global membership organisation that drives the just and sustainable transition to a bio-based and circular economy. RSB’s sustainability framework has been developed by its multi-stakeholder membership and is a uniquely robust and credible foundation for addressing the climate crisis. RSB uses this foundation to develop projects, guidance, and new knowledge and solutions that equip key decision-makers to deliver net-positive impacts for people and the planet.

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