EU's Aviation Fuel Mandate Exceeds First-Year Target
The EU's ReFuelEU mandate for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) exceeded its first-year 2% target, reaching 2.8% in 2025.
The European Union's sustainable aviation fuel mandate has exceeded its first-year target. According to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency's (EASA) first annual report on ReFuelEU Aviation, around 1.1 million tonnes of SAF were supplied at EU airports in 2025, representing 2.8% of total aviation fuel. This surpassed the mandated 2% target and marked a sharp increase from the 0.6% share recorded in 2024.
The data, covering 2025, shows that clear regulatory mandates can drive rapid market uptake. The report provides the first complete picture of the EU's SAF market since the binding targets took effect. It also reveals significant weaknesses in the current supply chain's sustainability and a critical lack of progress on synthetic fuels.
SAF Growth Relies on Problematic Feedstocks
Supply growth remains overwhelmingly tied to specific bio-based pathways. The hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) pathway, which uses waste oils and fats, dominates production.
Used cooking oil (UCO) is the dominant feedstock, accounting for roughly 80% of the EU's SAF supply. Aviation Policy Manager Camille Mutrelle warns this creates vulnerability. Europe is therefore building a SAF market that remains heavily dependent on imported feedstocks whose availability is limited and whose sustainability credentials are increasingly under scrutiny, Mutrelle says. The report highlights widespread fraud risks in UCO supply chains.
Other feedstocks are also rising. Category 3 animal fats now account for about 11% of supply, raising concerns about diverting resources from other industries and merely shifting emissions. Palm-Oil Mill Effluent (POME), a by-product of palm oil production, makes up around 6% of supply, creating a link to an industry with documented environmental impacts.
The geographical sourcing is another concern. While 84% of SAF is refined within the EU, a full 85% of the feedstocks used are imported. This import dependency has increased from 69% the previous year, with China remaining the primary source.
Synthetic e-SAF Investment Stalls
The most striking finding is the complete absence of commercial-scale investment in synthetic aviation fuels, known as e-SAF. These fuels are made using renewable electricity, water, and captured carbon.
EASA's assessment identifies approximately 60 e-SAF projects in development across Europe. None has reached a final investment decision. The agency's supply projections indicate that all projects currently deemed highly credible must materialize soon for Europe to meet its upcoming synthetic fuel targets.
Priorities for Strengthening the Mandate
The report, summarized by CleanTechnica and based on analysis from Transport & Environment (T&E), outlines three priorities for the EU.
First, it argues for protecting the existing ReFuelEU framework, including its dedicated sub-target for e-SAF. The answer to lacking investment is not to weaken the rules but to provide investors with long-term confidence.
Second, the EU must move from project announcements to final investment decisions. De-risking mechanisms like double-sided auctions are seen as essential. The planned German pilot auction is a step, but an EU-wide market intermediary could aggregate demand and further reduce risk.
Third, Europe must diversify its SAF supply away from imported waste oils. The European Commission's proposal to phase out EU Emissions Trading System support for UCO-based SAF from 2030 could incentivize a shift toward other sustainable pathways, including e-SAF. The current model, reliant on international waste-oil chains, is not considered a credible long-term strategy for decarbonization.
