On November 13 at COP 29, U.S. Department of Energy Chief Commercialization Officer and Director of the Office of Technology Transitions Dr. Vanessa Chan announced the publication of DOE’s Pathways to Commercial Liftoff Report on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This report marks the twelfth installment of DOE’s Liftoff series, which offers roadmaps for how and when clean energy technologies can reach full-scale commercial adoption. They provide a common fact base and critical signposts to inform both private and public investment. Given the rapidly evolving market, technology, and policy environment, the Liftoff Reports are designed to be “living documents” and are updated with the evolving commercialization outlook of each technology.

The SAF Liftoff report highlights the key imperatives to scaling the SAF industry in the United States by 2030, and tangible steps that stakeholders ranging from project developers, to investors, to federal and foreign policymakers can take to meet them.  Some key steps include:

• Deploy scalable technologies today like Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) and Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) conversion which can meet demand today but may be feedstock constrained over time.
• Invest in more nascent pathways like power-to-liquid technology and waste biomass gasification with the goal for them to play a commercial role after 2030.
• Activate third parties by including the retirement SAF certificates (SAFc) for Scope 3 emissions reductions in standards bodies like GHG Protocol.
• Align U.S. and foreign SAF policy, support international carbon accounting standards, improve traceability for feedstocks, and authorize book and claim systems.

Momentum for Liftoff has been accelerated by two recent conditional loan guarantees made by DOE’s Loan Programs Office to Montana Renewables LLC and Gevo Net Zero 1 LLC to scale domestic SAF production.