Sustainable aviation fuel market intelligence
Production pathways, airline commitments, and the road to decarbonized flight.
Aviation accounts for approximately 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions, and unlike road transport, battery electrification is not viable for long-haul commercial flights. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) — a drop-in replacement for conventional jet fuel made from renewable or waste feedstocks — is the primary near-term decarbonization pathway for the airline industry.
SAF can be produced through multiple pathways: hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) from waste fats and oils, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis from biomass or green hydrogen plus captured CO₂ (power-to-liquid), alcohol-to-jet (AtJ) from ethanol or methanol, and co-processing in existing refineries. Power-to-liquid (PtL) SAF — using green hydrogen and direct air capture CO₂ — offers the greatest emissions reduction potential but is currently the most expensive pathway.
Regulatory mandates are accelerating market development. The EU's ReFuelEU Aviation regulation requires fuel suppliers to blend at least 2% SAF by 2025, rising to 6% by 2030 and 70% by 2050 (including a dedicated sub-mandate for synthetic e-kerosene). The UK, Japan, India, Singapore, and other jurisdictions are implementing similar blending mandates. Airlines are signing long-term SAF purchase agreements to secure supply and meet their own net-zero commitments.
Delphidata tracks SAF production projects across all pathways, refinery conversion programs, feedstock supply chains, airline offtake agreements, airport fuel infrastructure investments, and the regulatory frameworks driving adoption timelines and volumes across global markets.
What Delphidata tracks.
Structured data across the full value chain.
SAF production facilities
Dedicated SAF plants and refinery conversion projects across all production pathways — HEFA, Fischer-Tropsch, alcohol-to-jet, power-to-liquid, and co-processing. Mapped with nameplate capacity, feedstock type, technology licensor, development status, investment value, and projected output volumes.
Feedstock supply and logistics
Used cooking oil (UCO), animal fats, agricultural residues, forestry waste, municipal solid waste, green hydrogen, and captured CO₂. Tracking feedstock availability, pricing dynamics, supply chain concentration risk, and competing demand from biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Airline and airport commitments
Off-take agreements between SAF producers and airlines, airport fuel infrastructure investments, corporate travel mandates requiring SAF usage, and the airline industry's collective progress toward IATA net-zero 2050 targets.
Technology providers
SAF technology licensors including Honeywell UOP, Topsoe, Neste, Velocys, Infinium, Synhelion, and others. Tracking technology readiness levels, commercial reference projects, licensing agreements, and catalyst/process innovation.
Policy mandates and incentives
ReFuelEU Aviation blending mandates, UK SAF mandate, IRA Sustainable Aviation Fuel credit (§40B/§45Z), Japan Green Transformation (GX) SAF targets, and bilateral agreements enabling SAF crediting across jurisdictions.
Who uses this intelligence.
Airlines and aviation groups
Monitor SAF supply availability across routes and regions, evaluate supplier reliability and pricing trajectories, track competitor procurement strategies, and plan for compliance with escalating blending mandates.
Refiners and fuel producers
Assess the business case for SAF production investment, compare pathway economics and feedstock access, identify co-processing opportunities within existing refinery infrastructure, and monitor competitor capacity announcements.
Investors and project finance
Screen SAF project investments by technology maturity, feedstock security, off-take commitments, and regulatory certainty. Evaluate the SAF supply-demand gap across regions to identify investment opportunities.
Airports and fuel infrastructure operators
Plan SAF blending and distribution infrastructure investments, monitor which production facilities will supply regional airport fuel pools, and track regulatory timelines driving SAF adoption at specific airports.