1st sustainable aviation fuel batches certified under CORSIA

For the first time, sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) have been certified under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation.

Making use of the two International Civil Aviation Organization-approved sustainability-certification schemes designed for this purpose, the development marks a significant milestone for both SAF production and aviation climate action by states.

The nine batches, totaling 1,542 metric tons, were certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification system and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials.

The fuels were produced in China, the Netherlands and the United States by Ecochem, Neste and World Energy, respectively.

They were produced from wastes and are characterized by 75 percent to 84 percent lower CO2 emissions compared to conventional aviation fuels.

“The successful certification of these sustainable aviation fuels ensures that they present real environmental benefits on a lifecycle basis, and it also confirms the performance of the certification process itself,” said Salvatore Sciacchitano, ICAO council president.

“This milestone shows that the CORSIA global framework for sustainability assessment is robust and ready to support the achievement of ICAO’s goals on climate change,” Sciacchitano continued.

The process is based on the application of the standards set forth in the Convention on International Civil Aviation’s Annex 16--Environmental Protection, Volume IV.

These standards encompass aspects related to sustainability, monitoring, reporting and accounting of SAF.

ICAO is a United Nations agency.