28 January 2020:The French Government has presented its interest for the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) which set forth the conclusions of a working group which included government agencies and industrial partners, all of whom signed the Green Deal in December 2017.
The aviation industry leaders like Airbus, Air France & Safran welcomed the news and joined forces with fuel producers Suez and Total, to acknowledge the introduction of a new Call for Expression of Interest (CEI).
This CEI is an important first step towards the emergence of a sustainable aviation fuel industry in France. It will permit investment projects in second-generation sustainable aviation fuel production units in France to be identified, as well as supportive measures and incentives in favour of such investments.
For the past 18 months, industrial entities have been mobilised and are working alongside the government to promote the emergence of a sustainable aviation fuel industry in France. The initiative created the first innovative partnership between public and private players in the industry. It sets forth the conditions for developing lasting industries in France in the following set of recommendations:
Mobilise the necessary volume of raw materials for the aviation sector,
Ensure that sustainable resources, especially sustainable resources sourced from the circular economy, are used to produce advanced sustainable aviation fuel,
Ensure that the industry is economically viable for all actors in the value chain through appropriate incentive schemes,
Use existing airport logistics distribution networks,
Support and promote production diversification.
With the expansion in the use of sustainable aviation fuel, the net CO2 emissions will be reduced from air transport over a full lifecycle by up to 80 per cent before blend.