The aim of aireg – Aviation Initiative for Renewable Energy in Germany e. V. – is to strive for the most climate-neutral and competitive aviation possible in Germany by using SAF and at the same time to establish Germany as an international technology leader in the international future market for sustainable aviation fuels. As a competence network and transformation platform for all key stakeholders along the entire value chain, aireg is involved in four areas: recommendations for promotion of local SAF use, organization of local SAF production, supply as well as research and development and SAF regulation.
This strategy paper justifies the urgency of a rapid and sustainable market ramp-up of SAF in Germany in order to achieve the international climate targets in aviation (net CO2 neutrality by 2050) and to establish Germany and Europe as pioneers in international climate policy. SAF is generally seen as a decisive lever in international aviation for reducing CO2 emissions as well as other climate-relevant effects associated with contrail formation. Currently, less than 1% of the required amount of aviation fuel worldwide is available as SAF; this necessitates the rapid, worldwide development of a SAF industry, which should happen without delay. Germany is in an excellent position to lead the development of a global SAF industry, thanks to its strong industrial base and its role as Europe’s largest aviation market.
In order to achieve these targets, aireg is setting specific SAF utilization targets for Germany and developing joint strategic proposals (including air transport, SAF producers/industry, research, politics) to achieve these targets. In particular, this includes targeted promotion of PtL-SAF as part of the national hydrogen strategy and targeted support for all SAF production paths as a necessary prerequisite for exceeding the minimum SAF quotas adopted by the EU. The regulatory framework conditions specifically for the promotion and acceleration of research projects, industrial SAF pilot plants and the design of financial government incentives to further develop the technologies for the production of PtL-SAF and make them commercially available in good time must also be regularly reviewed and, if necessary, adapted.
Overall, the strategy paper underlines aireg’s role in promoting a rapid ramp-up of SAF use in Germany. It illustrates the strong interest of its members from aviation and the respective upstream and downstream industries – and the corresponding research – in jointly shaping Germany as a leading market for SAF and the need for active, supportive government funding in order to achieve the ambitious targets for sustainable aviation and the development of technology leadership in the field of SAF.
