Japanese group accelerates UCO recycling for SAF

A Japanese cross-industry group is accelerating recycling of domestic used cooking oil (UCO), as part of efforts to halt exports of the feedstock in order to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The group, which includes domestic engineering firm JGC, refiner Cosmo Oil, airline firms All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines and local governments, has launched a project to increase the sourcing of UCO from households for domestic SAF production, in addition to the food and restaurant industry, to encourage domestic UCO recycling.

Around 100,000t of domestic UCO from household was wasted in Japan during the April 2021-March 2022 fiscal year, while 120,000t was exported, according to the country's federation of UCO recycling co-operatives UCO Japan.

JGC is already working with domestic biodiesel producer Revo International on collecting UCO from restaurants, in-flight meal factories and airport hotels, to produce 30,000 kilolitre/yr of SAF at Cosmo's Sakai plant.

Japan's trade and industry ministry (Meti) is mulling regulations and recycling guidelines for domestic UCO, to achieve the country's target of 10pc SAF use by domestic airlines by 2030. But the ministry has not yet prepared a draft law.

By Maiko Nakashima