Skip to Content
Aero
Sustainability

ALTERNATIVE FUELS FOR AVIATION (CAD OR SAF): THE PATHS TO SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION 

Download the report11 MB pdf
Download the POV2 MB pdf

Although it concerns only a minor part of the population, the aeronautical sector accounts for 3% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the world, a weight that continues to grow.

The sector’s carbon intensity per euro generated is one of the highest, making its decarbonisation a global priority. The sector has therefore set itself an ambitious goal for 2050: to be net zero.

Alternative fuels for aviation

Various levers are available to stakeholders to achieve this objective: technical levers with the optimisation of air traffic and ground operations, new designs and economical engines, the change of energy vectors (hydrogen, electricity) and fuels for sustainable aviation (CAD or SAF). The latter represents 65% of the decarbonisation potential of the sector and is therefore the priority for manufacturers and their ecosystems.

Although SAFs are the major technical lever for the decarbonisation of aeronautics, their development alone will not allow complete decarbonisation and must therefore be considered in a set of technical solutions and societal changes.

The study analyzes the 24 types of SAF conforming to the ASTM standard derived from biomass (biofuels) and the consequences of their use on other sectors of activity, human communities and the environment. E-fuels, produced from synthetic carbon and hydrogen, are outside the scope of this study.

The document includes recommendations by geographical area summarising each area of analysis: regulatory, economic, social, environmental, industrial, and agricultural competition.

Download the full study and expert insights from Capgemini Invent to learn more.

Download the full study
Download the Point of View

Authors