A leading Chinese aviation fuel maker is setting its sights on the rapidly growing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market, driven by the increasing demand for eco-friendly aviation solutions.
SAF is a new type of green jet fuel made from renewable resources or wastes. In recent years, relevant industries in China have grown rapidly, with innovative uses of waste oil to produce sustainable aviation fuel. For example, discarded oil from everyday cooking is now being recycled and converted into fuel for aircraft.
At the recent Airshow China in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, Sichuan Tianzhou International Trade Co., Ltd., a leading technology company in China specializing in aviation fuel supply, introduced how it has transformed waste oil into SAF.
"I have a bottle of waste hotpot oil in my left hand and a bottle of finished SAF in my right. We collect the kitchen waste oil, remove impurities, and refine it through hydrogenation. Then, we can smoothly blend the processed oil with traditional petrochemical aviation fuel, making it suitable for large aircraft and helping to reduce carbon emissions at every stage of the process," said Chen Yu, general manager of the company.
Compared with traditional petrochemical jet fuel, SAF, made from waste materials such as animal and vegetable oils, household waste, and agricultural and forestry waste, can reduce carbon emissions by nearly 80 percent.
Now, this jet fuel supplier is building its industrial base in Neijiang City, southwest China's Sichuan Province. Once fully operational, the facility is expected to process 500,000 tons of waste animal and plant oil annually, with an estimated output value of around 10 billion yuan (about 1.38 billion U.S. dollars).
"When we first started developing this type of fuel, we received little attention. But since last year, and especially recently, we've been in deep cooperations with international airlines frequently, as well as major domestic airlines and China National Aviation Fuel, about future collaborations and orders," said Chen.
According to a research report from Chinese financial services company Guosen Securities, China currently can produce 350,000 tons of SAF each year, with plans to increase it to 3.53 million tons.
For global climate reduction goals, countries around the world are also accelerating the building of the SAF industry.
"The climate goals of countries worldwide are the same. By 2030, all commercial aircraft should be compatible with the use of SAF, and by 2050, the target is to achieve emission reductions and net-zero emissions," said Yao Junchen, vice president of the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics (CSAA).
Chinese company targets growing sustainable aviation fuel market
A Chinese representative has called for unity and collaboration in the face of climate crisis after a package of climate agreements was reached early Sunday at the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).
The agreements included decisions on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) for climate financing and issues relating to the global carbon market mechanism under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
The agreements set the post-2025 climate finance targets, including an annual funding of at least 300 billion U.S. dollars from developed countries and a broader climate financing goal of at least 1.3 trillion dollars per year by 2035 for supporting developing countries' climate actions.
In his speech at the closing plenary session, Zhao Yingmin, head of the Chinese delegation and vice minister of ecology and environment, highlighted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Over the past 30 years, the process of climate governance under the convention has faced challenges but has consistently moved forward.
Zhao emphasized that humanity is a community with a shared future, and in the face of the climate crisis, unity and collaboration are the only viable paths.
The vice minister also noted that the outcome document on the NCQG revealed that developed countries' financial commitments still fall far short of meeting the needs of developing nations, and their financial obligations must be further clarified.
The upcoming year 2025 will mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Paris Agreement. At this new historic juncture, all parties must remain true to their original aspirations and forge ahead, said the Chinese official.
He added that addressing the global climate crisis requires adhering to the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities", upholding multilateralism, and working together for mutual benefit.
Zhao reaffirmed that China, as a responsible major developing country, will steadfastly promote the multilateral process and international cooperation on climate change, regardless of how the global landscape evolves.
China will continue to implement its national strategy for actively addressing climate change, pursue its carbon peaking and neutrality goals and engage extensively in South-South climate cooperation to contribute to global green, low-carbon, climate-resilient and sustainable development, he said.
The Chinese representative also called on the international community to work together to make substantial progress toward the vision set out in the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement and jointly build a clean and beautiful world.
China calls for unity, cooperation as COP29 reaches global climate deal package
