Japan’s SAF demand forecast at 396,000 b/d by 2050

Market: Biofuels, Oil products
11/10/21

Japanese airline companies All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Air Lines (JAL) predict Japan's sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) demand to be 396,000 b/d by 2050, in line with efforts to achieve zero-carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from their operations.

ANA and JAL forecast that jet fuel bought in Japan will completely shift from conventional fuel to SAF by 2050. This consumption includes domestic and international flights operated by Japanese airlines, as well as those by overseas airline companies.

The companies last month joined the Clean Skies for Tomorrow coalition and signed a 2030 ambition statement that targets reaching 10pc of global jet fuel supplies with SAF by 2030, gearing up their zero-emissions strategy with expectations of increased air travel demand after a recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Japanese airlines carried around 126,000 international passengers in July, more than double a year earlier, while passengers on domestic flights rose by 28.8pc to around 3.9mn, according to data from Japan's ministry of land and transportation.

ANA and JAL also see a need from a energy security perspective for stable domestic SAF supplies without relying on imports. Japanese companies have been exploring domestic-origin SAF produced from CO2, algae, woody biomass and used cooking oil, although none have been commercialised yet.

By Maiko Nakashima

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