Nation ready to soar in greener air travel

Thomsen said while the SAF market faces some challenges, such as high costs and the availability of raw materials, China is in a unique position to make a difference with advantages in raw materials, experience in world-leading manufacturing and the scale of its aviation market.

According to a China SAF road map report released by the Institute of Energy at Peking University, raw materials in China could potentially produce 46 million metric tons of SAF per year when all production means and materials become commercially scalable, which would be more than 10 percent of the expected total global SAF demand in 2050.

The speed at which China is growing its renewable energy infrastructure also helps the nation make significant strides in assisting the aviation industry to reduce its carbon footprint, Thomsen said.

Its renewable energy scale has created the capacity to support the demand of a potentially growing SAF sector. It will also be able to support green hydrogen production, which will be a key raw material for hydrocarbon production, including sustainable aviation fuels, he said. Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable energy, which is more environmentally friendly than other methods.

"China has proven many times that when it has a clear goal, it delivers — from building plants and infrastructure to securing supply chains at speed — and this is acknowledged as incredibly impressive," Thomsen said.

Thomsen said Air bp, a key player in China's aviation fuel industry for the past 32 years, sees huge potential for SAFs, and it aims to supply 20 percent of global SAF demand by 2030.