[London 15/01/2025]
London Stansted Airport and Cambridge Cleantech, in partnership with key industry stakeholders, convened a high profile roundtable on January 15th to explore pathways for scaling Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) across the UK, with a particular focus on the East of England.
Hosted at London Stansted Airport, the event brought together leading organisations to assess opportunities for SAF production, infrastructure development, and investment in the region.
The roundtable, jointly led by London Stansted Airport and Cambridge Cleantech, aimed to craft a practical roadmap to establish the East of England as a hub for SAF innovation and production. With the aviation sector under increasing pressure to decarbonise, the region’s strategic location, industrial expertise, and existing infrastructure offer substantial potential to drive SAF adoption and development.
Gareth Powell, Managing Director of London Stansted Airport, underscored the importance of facilitating these crucial discussions and expressed pride in Stansted's role as host. Sam Goodall, Chief Executive of Cambridge Cleantech and Founder of the Climate Tech SuperCluster, highlighted the collaborative potential of the roundtable participants to take on an “advocacy role” in advancing the region’s SAF ambitions.
SAF is widely recognised as one of the most effective solutions for reducing aviation emissions. Globally, aviation accounts for 2% of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and 12% of transportation-related emissions. Despite ambitious airline commitments to incorporate 10% SAF by 2030, its uptake remains limited, rising from just 0.04% of global aviation fuel in 2021 to 0.17% in 2023.
In response, the UK government has introduced the UK SAF Mandate, requiring aviation fuel suppliers to blend increasing proportions of SAF into the fuel mix. Starting January 1, 2025, 2% of all jet fuel used for UK-departing flights must be SAF, with targets rising to 10% by 2030 and 22% by 2040.
The East of England is uniquely positioned to lead the UK’s SAF development, leveraging its strategic location, robust knowledge economy, climate-focused ecosystem, and extensive logistics and port infrastructure. However, according to Satyajit Mohanan, Projects Coordinator at Cambridge Cleantech, realising this potential will depend on addressing critical factors such as securing feedstock availability and building key infrastructure, including grid connections and storage facilities.
Roundtable participants identified several challenges that need to be addressed to attract investment and establish the region as a SAF leader. Key enablers include optimising supply chains, advancing technology, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and fostering investment opportunities.
The event united a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from Jet2, Scottish and Southern Electricity, Johnson Matthey, Hydrogen East, IFM (University of Cambridge), Velocys, CNF Energy, Avioxx, Huntingdonshire County Council, Innovate UK, Essex County Council, Cambridge&, and Haltermann Carless.
By bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators, Cambridge Cleantech and London Stansted Airport played a pivotal role in aligning efforts to accelerate SAF adoption and support the aviation sector’s broader sustainability goals. This collaborative initiative marks an important step toward establishing the East of England as a key hub for SAF innovation and production.