Indonesia to require SAF for flights from 2027

Indonesia will require flights to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in their fuel mix from 2027, the Co-ordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment announced on 18 September during the Bali International Air Show.

International flights departing Indonesia will be required to use 1pc SAF in their fuel mix, or an estimated 60,000 kilolitres (kl), in 2027. This will rise to 2.5pc by 2030, 12.5pc by 2040, 30pc by 2050, and 50pc, or a projected 7.88mn kl, by 2060.

The country's SAF roadmap and policy action plan was also announced on 18 September, and will be implemented as a Presidential Instruction by September. Used cooking oil (UCO) and palm fatty acid distillate (Pfad) were cited as prioritised feedstocks, although other potential feedstocks like palm oil-based feedstocks, coconut, and seaweed will be explored as well.

Crude palm oil (CPO) was identified as the alternative SAF feedstock that is most widely available within Indonesia, with a current excess supply of 16.5mn t after energy and food use, which can be converted into 13.3mn t of SAF. But SAF produced from CPO is estimated to have life cycle emissions of 77-99 gCO2/MJ, above the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), US and EU standards, limiting its global marketability. Indonesia aims to establish a taskforce to further engage ICAO on this, over a maximum of two years.

SAF Action Plan

A 2025-29 Action Plan was also announced, with three main policy pillars of demand, supply and enablers which were mentioned earlier in the year.

Notable points under the supply pillar includes securing enough domestic feedstocks for SAF production via the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) pathway – which included a proposed domestic market obligation (DMO) for Pfad, and export quota and/or tariff for UCO. Emission-based incentives for SAF and exploring SAF production through other pathways, like alcohol-to-jet, were also mentioned.

The country's Ministry of Investment said that the country has potential to produce up to 1.72mn kl of SAF, 8.03mn kl of biodiesel, and 1.76mn kl of bioethanol, based on the Strategic Investment Downstream Roadmap over 2023-2040.

Under the enablers pillar, there are plans to appoint a national accreditation body for SAF certification and a domestic SAF certification ecosystem.

Under the demand pillar, the country aims to implement pilot SAF offtake agreements for international flights from Ngurah Rai International Airport, and to increase the SAF mandate at Ngurah Rai, the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, and other major airports. It also plans for an SAF usage mandate for corporate and government travellers.

South Korea previously announced a 1pc SAF mandate in August for international flights, while Japan proposed stricter rules for domestic SAF producers to cut greenhouse gas emissions from jet fuel use in June, with the discussions to be finalised later this year.

By Sarah Giam