Design for production sustainable aviation fuels (Sustainable Aviation Fuels, SAF) is promoted by the Ministry of Environment and Energy with the aim of meeting with domestic resources the mandatory targets set by European legislation regarding the addition of SAF to the fuels used by airplanes.

As the Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, Alexandra Sdoukou, said yesterday at a related conference organized by the Center for Renewable Energy Sources (CRES), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proceeded last month with a pre-notification of a request to the General Directorate of Competition of the EU, in order to allow state support for investments that are required to produce these fuels.

According to the president and general manager of KAPE Dimitris Kardomatea, the EU legislation foresees from 2025 a mandatory addition of SAF at a rate of 2% in aviation fuel, which for our country will be covered by imports of SAF produced by energy plants, as the domestic production of biofuels is not enough. But from 2030 the percentage rises to 6% with an additional obligation of 1.2% not to come from biofuel crops but from e-fuels. That is, fuels produced by mixing hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water (if the source of the required electricity is renewable then hydrogen is green) while carbon dioxide can be secured from the capture of gaseous pollutants produced by large industrial units (e.g. cement plants, refineries, etc.) .a.).

It is noted that the percentage of SAF in aviation fuel increases further in 2050 to 70% of which 35% will be e-fuels.

However, currently the production costs for both SAF derived from biofuels and -mainly- for e-fuels are multiple times compared to the cost of conventional fuels.