What happened
Sustainable aviation fuel supplied at EU airports rose to about 1.1 million tonnes in 2025, equal to 2.8% of aviation fuel supply, according to reporting on the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s annual ReFuelEU Aviation technical report. That was above the regulation’s first mandatory 2% SAF requirement and compared with a 0.6% share in 2024.
The data provide the first full market view since ReFuelEU Aviation’s binding fuel obligations took effect. They show a rapid rise in supply, but also a supply base concentrated in waste oils and fats and a lack of final investment decisions for synthetic aviation fuel, or e-SAF.
For airlines, fuel suppliers and project developers, the immediate task is to assess exposure to imported feedstocks and whether e-SAF projects can move from development to financing and construction.
Why it matters
The result indicates that the initial fuel requirement was exceeded in its first year. However, future compliance will depend on more than increasing conventional bio-based SAF volumes. The report identified around 60 e-SAF projects under development in Europe, yet none had secured a final investment decision.
That gap matters because projects considered highly credible would need to advance soon to contribute to forthcoming EU synthetic-fuel requirements. Reporting cited planned double-sided auctions as a potential means of improving revenue certainty: Germany is preparing a pilot, while the European Commission is examining an EU-level option for sustainable and synthetic fuels.
Feedstock dependence remains high
Hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids, or HEFA, remained the principal SAF production route. Used cooking oil accounted for roughly 80% of supply, followed by Category 3 animal fats at around 11% and palm-oil-mill-effluent-based fuel at about 6%.
Although 84% of the SAF was refined in the EU, 85% of the feedstocks used were imported, up from 69% in the prior year. China remained the leading source of imported inputs. This leaves the market exposed to international supply chains for waste-derived materials.
What to watch
The European Commission has proposed withdrawing EU Emissions Trading System support for SAF made from used cooking oil from 2030. If adopted, that change could alter incentives for feedstock choices and encourage other production routes.
The nearer-term indicator will be whether the announced e-SAF pipeline produces final investment decisions. Progress there will be central to the availability of synthetic fuel for later ReFuelEU targets.
