Aviation has been one of the drivers of economic and social development in recent decades, because it connects territories, promotes European integration and, in addition, the appearance of low-cost airlines has contributed to democratizing trips that were previously only accessible to some. people. This sector facilitates the transport of people and goods, but is also essential in certain humanitarian situations, such as the transfer of medical personnel and emergency equipment, in addition to the transport of organs for transplant. However, this industry is aware of its environmental impact and is therefore actively working towards decarbonization. Currently, aviation accounts for between 2 and 3 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to data from Our world in dataand the current challenge is to move towards greater sustainability, while preserving the social and economic benefits that the sector brings.
Currently, airlines are engaging in the energy transition alongside promoting the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, as part of the European RefuelEU programme. This initiative part of the Fit For 55 legislative package which aims to reduce the percentage of emissions by 55% until 2030 and establishes requirements for aviation fuel suppliers to gradually increase the proportion of SAF and synthetic fuels.
SAFs are defined in the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation as synthetic aviation fuels, aviation biofuels or aviation fuels derived from recycled carbon. SAF has a lower net carbon footprint than conventional fuels and has the potential to reduce the carbon intensity of flights.
Concretely, for next year, 2% of the fuel used must be SAF. This figure will gradually increase until reaching 70% in 2050. For Franc Sanmartí, director of sustainable development at the airline Vueling, it is “a key alternative that is produced sustainably from organic waste and synthetic processes”. From his point of view, “SAF offers a solution by making it possible to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80% over its life cycle, from production to use, compared to traditional fuels. Even in the case of synthetic fuels, the reduction can be as much as 100%.
The airline, born in Barcelona in 2004, is part of IAG —International airline group—, which was the first airline group to commit to achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, through its program FlightPath net zero. In this context, explains Sanmartí, “we have set ourselves the objective of operating 10% of our flights with SAF by 2030, almost double the requirement established by the European Commission”. To continue promoting the adoption of SAF, the company has joined the Seduco-Wenergy industrial group to promote joint projects enabling the development of advanced organic SAF, produced from agricultural waste such as slurry. In addition, it collaborates with two of the largest suppliers in Spain, Repsol and Cepsa, as well as the Greenova Foundation, which specializes in carbon dioxide capture technology. It also participates in the Hydrogen Network and Hydrogen Valley initiatives in Catalonia to promote the production of green hydrogen, an essential component in the manufacture of synthetic SAF.
The opportunities of the coming revolution
Despite its advantages, SAF faces significant challenges, the most significant of which is large-scale manufacturing. This means that SAF is currently at least 3-4 times more expensive. Currently, its global production is far from meeting the demand of the aeronautical industry, and with current infrastructure, only 0.1% of global demand would be covered. In Spain alone, it is estimated that the decarbonization of aviation will require five million tonnes of SAF per year by 2050.
Spain, for its part, has a unique opportunity to lead the production of SAF, thanks to the availability of raw materials and the natural characteristics of our country with competitive costs in the production of renewable energy.. This context gives the country an advantage over other markets. The establishment of a national SAF industry could not only meet local demand, estimated at five million tonnes per year by 2050, but also position Spain as a key exporter of this resource on the international market. . The study The socio-economic impact of the development of SAF in Spain prepared by PwC for Iberia and Vueling suggests that the construction of 30 to 40 factories throughout the country would be enough to cover internal demand, which would also generate a new source of wealth and employment in Spain. the territory.
The same study recognizes that this expansion of the SAF would also generate other economic benefits: “It is estimated that the construction and operation of these power plants could contribute up to 56 billion euros to GDP and create 270,000 new jobs up to in 2050,” she explains. Finally, Vueling emphasizes that “not only the future of aviation depends on SAF, but also tourism itself”.
