Weakening caps on hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA)-based sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) would harm demand for green hydrogen-based e-SAF at a “critical stage,” UK trade group the Hydrogen Energy Association (HEA) has warned.
Responding to the UK Department for Transport’s (DFT) call for consultations on the country’s SAF mandate, which currently limits HEFA-produced fuels to 92.3% of the total obligations in 2027, the HEA said the HEFA cap should remain steadfast.
The mandate, which will require 10% of jet fuel supplied to the UK aviation market to be sustainable by 2030, has been viewed as a key demand maker for green hydrogen due to a sub-mandate for power-to-liquid (PtL) fuels known as e-SAF.
However, DFT launched a consultation on the mandate amid concerns that non-HEFA SAF production may not yet be adequate to meet SAF mandates.
The HEA claimed that weakening the HEFA could further push back demand and disincentivise investment in green hydrogen-based SAF pathways.
“Members noted that the HEFA cap and PtL obligation together provide the primary market signal underpinning the business case for these projects,” the HEA said in its response.
“Any increase to the HEFA cap, or any extension of the period during which more HEFA SAF can count towards compliance, would push back demand for PtL SAF.”
However, the group’s response admitted its members do not expect current levels of non-HEFA production to meet the SAF mandate’s targets through to 2040 of 3.5% PtL fuels “without targeted support.”
The lobby group did, however, raise concerns around the pricing structure associated with the PtL obligation, warning that the buyout price could be lower than the cost of production.
“Suppliers do not currently have an immediate financial incentive to invest in physical PtL supply, rather than paying to buy out of the obligation,” it said.
DFT is expected to publish a summary of responses to the consultation in the autumn, with any proposed changes to the mandate subject to further consultation.
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