Thursday, 28 November 2023, was a landmark for aviation: the first transatlantic flight between London and New York powered entirely by SAF. Today, it is central to aviation’s decarbonisation plans. Yet just two years earlier, few outside the industry had even heard of it.
The UK is positioning itself as a leader. On 1 January 2025, the Government’s SAF mandate came into force, requiring fuel suppliers to blend a growing proportion of SAF into jet fuel. The targets are clear:
- 2% SAF in 2025 (around 230,000 tonnes)
- 10% by 2030
- A specific share from Power-to-Liquid fuels starting in 2028
To avoid reliance on first-generation fuels such as used cooking oil, the HEFA cap gradually limits their share, pushing the sector toward advanced pathways like Power-to-Liquid and Alcohol-to-Jet.
Progress is visible. The share of SAF in UK aviation fuel rose from 0.7% in 2023 to 2.1% in 2024. Yet meeting mandated levels is another challenge entirely.
The UK set a goal of five commercial-scale SAF plants under construction by 2025. By mid-2025, only one is operational.
New funding rounds, including £63 million from the Advanced Fuels Fund announced in July 2025, are designed to accelerate progress. A proposed Revenue Certainty Mechanism, due in 2026, could further de-risk investment by guaranteeing stable revenues for SAF producers.
Still, Apollo’s work supporting early development of two large-scale UK SAF facilities highlights familiar hurdles:
- Feedstock availability
- Power supply and grid connection times
- High CAPEX and modest returns
- Cost competitiveness with overseas supply chains
At present, SAF is significantly more expensive than jet fuel. Cost parity is unlikely. Airlines will pay a premium if they can pass the costs onto passengers. That opens a bigger question: are consumers really prepared to pay more to be green?
The ambition is there. The technology is advancing. The policies are strengthening. But will it be enough to put the UK at the forefront of the global SAF race?
That’s the question we’ll be putting to our expert panel in the next Apollo Transition Pieces – LinkedIn Live.
Speakers:
- Tom Andrews – Willis Sustainable Fuels
- Pete Fear – Hynamics
- James Cox – Bristol Airport
- Calum Westland – Apollo
📅 Thursday 25th September, 1pm