Our country has launched a pilot program for the application of sustainable aviation fuel.
On September 18th, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Civil Aviation Administration of China held a launch ceremony for the application pilot program of sustainable aviation fuel (hereinafter referred to as "SAF") in Beijing. The aim was to implement the decisions and arrangements of the Central Committee and the State Council through concrete actions, comprehensively promote the development of sustainable aviation fuel in China, and better promote the green and low-carbon development of the civil aviation industry. According to the pilot program arrangement, starting from September 19th, 12 flights of Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines departing from Beijing Daxing, Chengdu Shuangliu, Zhengzhou Xincheng, and Ningbo Liuzhou airports will officially add SAF.
Representatives from departments such as the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the National Development and Reform Commission, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, and the National Energy Administration, as well as relevant civil aviation enterprises, aircraft manufacturers, and aviation fuel suppliers, attended the launch ceremony. Vice Director Han Jun of the Civil Aviation Administration delivered a speech. At the launch ceremony, China Aviation Oil, together with Civil Aviation University and Civil Aviation Institute No. 2, also initiated the establishment of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Industry Alliance.
Han Jun stated in his speech that approximately 99% of the carbon emissions in the aviation industry come from the consumption of aviation fuel during flight activities. Controlling and reducing the consumption of aviation fuel and actively promoting the decarbonization of aviation fuel are the main directions for the aviation industry to comprehensively achieve green and low-carbon transformation. In the case where the potential for emission reduction through traditional technologies and management methods is limited, sustainable aviation fuel has advantages such as compatibility with existing facilities and equipment and significant carbon reduction effects throughout the entire life cycle. Developing sustainable aviation fuel is the current realistic path for the aviation industry to actively implement the national "carbon neutrality" strategic deployment and fully achieve green transformation. It is also a strategic means for the aviation industry to enhance its development momentum and gain a competitive edge in the future. Developing sustainable aviation fuel has characteristics such as a wide range of involved fields, a long industrial chain, and prominent high-tech attributes. It can give rise to new industries, new models, and new driving forces, and is an important means for the aviation industry to extend its industrial chain and cultivate new quality productive forces. Currently, the foundation for the development of sustainable aviation fuel in China is constantly being consolidated. However, to achieve industrialization development and large-scale application, it is necessary to promote various pilot projects and strive to build a sustainable aviation fuel development path that conforms to the national conditions.
It is known that SAF is an aviation fuel made from renewable resources or waste materials. It has a significant reduction effect throughout its life cycle and can be well compatible with existing aircraft and civil aviation infrastructure. This pilot project will be implemented in two phases and will focus on key areas such as fuel supply assurance, oil quality monitoring, effect evaluation, and mechanism standard construction. Research and exploration will be carried out simultaneously. The first phase will run from September to December 2024, and the main participating units will be Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, as well as Beijing Daxing Airport, Chengdu Shuangliu Airport, Zhengzhou Xinzheng Airport, and Ningbo Liushi Airport. The second phase will cover the entire year of 2025, and the number of participating units will gradually increase. To ensure safety, the sustainable aviation fuel used during the pilot period has all obtained air traffic control approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and the Civil Aviation Administration of China has guided China National Aviation Fuel to strictly control the quality of the oil.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, with the joint efforts of the entire industry, the aviation sector has achieved a series of phased results in energy conservation and emission reduction, providing a solid foundation and favorable conditions for the comprehensive promotion of the green transformation of the industry. As of now, the age of the transport aircraft fleet in China remains at around 9 years; the proportion of new energy vehicles on the airport premises exceeds 27%, and the proportion in new airports such as Daxing and Tianfu is close to 80%; the installation rate and usage rate of APU replacement equipment for large and medium-sized airports near the aircraft stands have remained above 95%; the annual electricity generation of airport photovoltaic projects exceeds 6,000 million kilowatt-hours; domestic flights and airport terminals have basically stopped providing disposable non-degradable plastic tableware; the carbon intensity of the transport aircraft fleet and transport airports has further decreased, reaching 0.276 kilograms per ton-kilometer and 0.869 kilograms per passenger respectively, ranking among the forefront of major aviation countries.
