The UK Government’s Department for Transport (DfT) has issued a consultation document which invites views about how to increase the supply of biofuels in the UK’s aviation industry. The DfT Renewable Fuel Transport Obligation (RFTO) report is seeking the views of various stakeholders on proposals to provide more renewable fuels for all sectors of the transport industry.
For aviation specifically, the major point in the report is that the DfT is proposing that renewable aviation fuels should be eligible for rewards in line with those that are given to liquid road transport fuels. Under the current RFTO, only suppliers of these fuels are eligible to receive incentives to produce sustainable fuels.
A statement from Sustainable Aviation, the coalition of UK airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturers and air traffic service providers, welcomed the news: “This consultation has the potential to create the right economic conditions for the production of truly innovative and sustainable bio jet-fuels.”
Ian Jopson, chair of Sustainable Aviation, added: “We believe that producers of sustainable aviation fuel should be able to benefit from the new policy framework by allowing them to ‘opt-in’ to the system to receive credits. It is an exciting prospect and could lead to the UK taking a leading role in the production of sustainable jet fuel.”
Sustainable Aviation claims this change in UK policy support could lead to the creation of up to 12 operational sustainable fuel plants to support aviation across the UK, create up to 4,400 jobs and be worth up to £300 million to the UK economy by 2030. Mark Broadbent
