A new report has revealed Ireland’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry could be worth €2.55bn ($2.7bn) by 2050. It could also support up to 1,000 high-skilled jobs.
The Ireland’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Opportunity study from SkyNRG and SFS Ireland, in a partnership supported by Avolon, Boeing and ORIX Aviation, looks at the key role SAF will play in helping the aviation industry achieve its net zero goal by 2050.
To meet EU mandated SAF volumes alone, Ireland will require approximately 10 SAF plants of 80 kilo tonnes production capacity each. The research finds that the biggest opportunity for Ireland lies in Power to Liquid (PtL) production of eSAF, a synthetic fuel produced by combining green hydrogen with biogenic CO2. SAF derived from bio-based intermediates like renewable natural gas has potential to scale up more rapidly to fulfill the advanced biofuels portion of the ReFuelEU mandate.
Significant progress is required for Ireland to be able to develop eSAF at scale, particularly to ensure there is enough excess renewable power available to produce hydrogen in the required quantities. The increased levels of offshore wind power generation that Government initiatives are targeting by 2030 will put the country in a stronger position to develop a domestic SAF industry.
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, TD said, “We welcome the proactive approach from the aviation sector to progress its own net zero commitments. This research presented today [25 October] shows that there are clear future economic benefits from the green economy, which can create new jobs and exciting new business ventures. We look forward to engaging further with industry to explore Ireland’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) potential.”
To read the full report, visit https://www.avolon.aero/insights
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