Sustainability and Environment
EU Rules Risk Energy-intensive SAF Production Strategies
Chalmers University of Technology urges expanded focus on gasification
Aircraft alongside wood-chip
By 2050, European Union aviation fuel requirements state half of all SAF produced must be synthetic: part of a category called Renewable Fuel of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO). © Gustavo Ramirez / CC0

A report from Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology has cautioned that under existing European Union (EU) rules, fossil-free aviation fuels may become more expensive and energy-intensive. After analysing different methods for producing synthetic methanol, the study published this week concluded that regulatory bias risks ‘locking in’ less resource-efficient manufacturing methods.

Three “technically feasible” production pathways were studied, which all use biomass to create an identical final product. Two are based on biomass combustion, while a third employs a process called gasification. However, while the study showed the latter to be the most resource-efficient option—offering up to 46 per cent lower production cost and 30 percent lower energy demand—it said the current EU regulatory framework does not favor this option.