Region's raw materials can produce 12% of global green jet fuel target

Raw materials from South-east Asia have the potential to supply about 12 per cent of the total global green jet fuel needed to meet the aviation sector's net-zero goals by 2050, according to a report released on Sept 3.

- Esther Loi

This amounts to about 45.7 million tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel every year by 2050, achieved through the processing of raw materials - also known as feedstock such as rice husks, sugarcane and palm oil residues.

These figures were from a report on sustainable aviation fuel production in South-east Asia, commissioned in mid-2023 by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) - a collaborative network of global organisations pushing for sustainability and supported by aircraft manufacturer Boeing.

The report showed that rice husks and straw are the region's top materials for the production of green jet fuel due to their high availability, taking up a 37 per cent share in available feedstock across Asean countries.

They present low environmental and social risks, such as deforestation and stress on water sources, as well as potential violations of human and labour rights.

Other top materials include municipal solid waste, sugarcane pulp and root starch.