Greece to Introduce Plan for Domestic Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF)

The Greek Ministry for the Environment and Energy is set to present a plan for the domestic production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), with the aim of meeting European legislative requirements.

According to Deputy Minister for Environment and Energy Alexandra Sdoukou, the goal is to meet the European Union’s mandatory SAF targets by producing the fuel domestically. These targets stipulate that a certain percentage of SAF must be blended with conventional aviation fuel.

Speaking at a recent conference organized by the Center for Renewable Energy Sources (KAPE), Sdoukou noted that the ministry has already sought approval from the EU Directorate-General for Competition to allow state financial support for investments in SAF production.

KAPE President and General Director, Dimitris Kardomateas, added that EU legislation mandates a 2 percent addition of SAF to aviation fuel by 2025. Initially, Greece will fulfill this obligation through SAF imports produced by biofuel plants.

Looking ahead, the SAF blending requirement will increase to 6 percent by 2030, with 1.2 percent of that coming from e-fuels — fuels created by combining hydrogen and carbon dioxide. By 2050, the SAF requirement will rise dramatically to 70 percent, with 35 percent of that being e-fuels.

Currently, the production costs for SAF, whether biofuel-based or primarily e-fuel-based, are significantly higher than traditional aviation fuels.