Europe’s first SAF Clearing House operational
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is supporting the scale up of sustainable aviation fuels through the creation of Europe’s first SAF Clearing House, a ‘one-stop-shop’ for fuel producers to access certification advice and analysis, which has commenced operations.
Intended to facilitate EU and international deployment of SAF as well as approve new production pathways, the initiative is funded by the European Union and managed by EASA. Following a call to tender, the pan European-based sustainable transport team at engineering and environemental consultancy Ricardo was awarded the contract to implement the EU SAF Clearing House.
Working alongside a consortium of international members, Ricardo will establish a network of testing facilities and guide fuel producers in “assessing the environmental impacts of their products and in meeting strict eligibility criteria”. The first SAF sample is currently undergoing testing against the recognised industry standard practice of ASTM D4054.
Trinity College Dublin, Intertek, Politecnico di Torino, ENVISA, and Spark Legal and Policy Consulting are also involved in the EU SAF Clearing house, with the project also seeking additional organisations to join its expanding network.
The facilitation of SAF creation is especially important given targets set by the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation, adopted in which 2023, which mandates a target of 2% SAF production by 2025; rising to 6% by 2030.
“Via the EU SAF Clearing House, EASA wants to ensure that the fuel industry gets the support needed to succeed in SAF for aviation, so that their innovation efforts are not in vain and more SAF is brought to the market,” concluded Maria Rueda, EASA’s strategy and safety management director.
A similar initiative in the UK, also supported by Ricardo, officially launched in April 2024.
