Singapore targets at least 40% reduction in emissions from aviation fuels

Singapore will only purchase sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that delivers at least a 40% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional jet fuel, as part of efforts to ensure tangible environmental benefits from its aviation emissions reduction roadmap.

The requirement is among new criteria announced by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on Nov. 5, The Straits Times reported.

Daniel Ng, chief sustainability officer of CAAS, said the 40% reduction target was a "modest starting point" but demonstrated Singapore’s commitment to ensuring that the transition to green fuels delivers tangible environmental benefits.

A Singapore Airlines plane is parked beside Scoots passenger planes on the terminal tarmac at Changi International Airport in Singapore on March 15, 2021. Photo by AFP

The country also requires the SAF it purchases to qualify under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), a globally recognized framework established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to address carbon emissions from aviation.

CAAS said the 40% reduction threshold was benchmarked against standards in other jurisdictions and set above the minimum requirement of 10% under CORSIA.

It added that the criteria had been shared with 15 potential suppliers and producers of sustainable aviation fuel ahead of the first tender.

Singapore Sustainable Aviation Fuel Company (SAFCo), which is wholly owned by CAAS, is scheduled to launch the first tender by mid-December, with deliveries of blended fuel expected to begin in June 2027. The company was established to procure and manage supplies of sustainable aviation fuel for Singapore’s aviation hub.

Singapore aims to have SAF account for 1% of total jet fuel consumption at Changi and Seletar airports in 2027, rising to 3-5% by 2030.