It is an indisputable fact that aviation is a sector highly dependent on fossil fuels.
In order to reduce (and in the future, completely eliminate) this dependence, it is necessary to define an ambitious mitigation strategy that is compatible with the development of the sector, strategic for Spain and essential for contributing to the well-being and advancement of society.
In addition to fleet renewal and operational efficiency, aviation needs the accelerated advancement of three technologies that are key to its decarbonization: electrification, green hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels.
Of these three, only sustainable aviation fuels constitute a real and immediately available solution
so that air transport meets the European Union's emissions reduction targets for the years 2030 and 2050.
Sustainable Aviation Fuels
,
or SAF, as they are known within the industry, can reduce flight emissions by 60 to 100%, in life cycle terms, compared to traditional fuels. .
They can even have negative emissions if the capture of CO₂ is greater than the emissions of these gases.
In addition, these fuels contain fewer impurities and improve the direct environmental impact of each flight and air quality in cities.
The SAF are, therefore, key to the decarbonization of aviation, particularly long-haul aviation, which cannot be replaced by any other type of transport.
Although production continues to grow, available SAF represents less than 1% of global demand.
This shortage of supply, the production procedure and the high transportation and distribution costs keep SAF prices very high, up to six times higher than the price of traditional kerosene.
Tests carried out in the sector have demonstrated the technical feasibility of sustainable aviation fuels.
The only barriers to its development are economic and political in nature.
To avoid distortions of competition and carbon leaks, it is essential to support SAF production in Europe with the highest sustainability criteria, while ensuring that European airlines can compete on equal terms in the market.
This situation requires a transformative vision that can (and should) be seen as an opportunity.
In this sense, Price Waterhouse Coopers carried out a report in June 2023 in which the potential of our country to lead the creation of the new SAF industry in Europe, which is still in its first phase of development, was measured and assessed.
The driving force of the aviation sector, in collaboration with other companies and with the support of the Government, has the capacity to generate new avenues of wealth for the country consistent with more sustainable, fair and inclusive economic models.
According to this report, Spain has everything it needs to lead the SAF industry: an enormous wealth of forestry, agricultural and livestock waste, which is what is used to produce biological SAF.
And it is also on track to spearhead the production of green hydrogen which, among other things, will be used to produce synthetic SAF.
The consultancy firm's study quantifies the impact on GDP of the construction and start-up of SAF production plants in Spain at 56 billion euros until 2050, which would translate into 270,000 new jobs.
Thus, boosting the SAF production market in Spain could contribute to the ecological transition of aviation (and other industries), to the social and territorial cohesion of our country, and to the energy security of Spain and the EU.
In short, we are facing a historic opportunity for Spain to create a new industry that favors the decarbonization of a strategic sector for our country, while creating employment and wealth in rural areas, where waste and the generation of renewable energy are located. allow their manufacture.
Other countries are already acting.
Let's take this opportunity to lead the development of a new economy.
Teresa Parejo Navajas
is Director of Sustainability at Iberia.