2 weeks Ago By [email protected](KoreaTimes)
Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun, third from left, and Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo, fourth from left, pose with other dignitaries holding memoranda of understanding on using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to fuel the country's commercial flights to counter climate change, at Incheon International Airport, Friday. From left are Lee Jeong-ki, executive vice president of Korea Airports Corporation, Park Joo-sun, Korea Petroleum Association chairman, Ahn, Park, Lee Hag-jae, Incheon International Airport Corp. president & CEO, and Park Jong-heum, vice chairman of Korea Civil Aviation Association.
Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul Korean Air starts SAF initiative, other airlines to follow By Ko Dong-hwan Starting in 2027, the government will require all airlines in the country to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), as part of efforts to significantly reduce carbon emissions, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Friday. The joint initiative coincides with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) plan to make its Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) mandatory for 193 member states beginning in 2027. Under CORSIA, airlines that produce carbon emissions exceeding 85 percent of the global average from 2019 will be required to purchase carbon offset permits to balance out the excess emissions.
To date, 126 ICAO member countries, including Korea, have opted to voluntarily adhere to this scheme. Under the planned measure, all national airlines will be required to include at least one percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in their jet fuels. Given that the country's aviation industry emitted 20 million tons of carbon in 2023, this requirement is expected to reduce emissions by approximately 160,000 tons.
According to the industry ministry, this reduction is equivalent to the annual emissions produced by 53,000 vehicles each driving an average of 12,000 kilometers. To prevent the new requirement from leading to higher airfares due to increased costs, the ministries plan to support airlines with incentives. They will also introduce a new mileage policy designed to encourage greater demand for flights using SAF.
“To retain its position as the global leader in SAF exports and to further enhance its capabilities, Korea must focus on securing a stable supply of sustainable aviation fuel and developing the necessary infrastructure,” Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said at Incheon International Airport, Friday, where officials from the ministries and heads of the country’s nine airlines and five oil refiners gathered to support the measure. Memoranda of understanding for SAF usage in commercial flights were exchanged between the two ministries, airlines and oil refiners, Incheon International Airport Corp. and Korea Airport Corp.
Korean Air's Boeing 777F is being fueled with SAF made by GS Caltex on Sept. 5, 2023. Courtesy of GS Caltex “To counter climate change and realize the sustainable growth of the country’s aviation industry, the usage of SAF is no longer optional but a critical requirement,” Transport Minister Park Sang-woo said.
“The measure will allow Korea to spearhead the carbon neutralization of the global aviation industry.” On the same day, at the airport, Korean Air used SAF, produced in collaboration with S-Oil and SK Energy, on its flight from Incheon to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. Beginning Friday, the airline will add SAF to one percent of the fuel in each flight’s tank once a week.
Additionally, by the end of the year, five other national airlines, including Asiana Airlines and T’way Air, will adopt this practice for their flights to Japan. With Korean Air’s recent use of SAF, Korea has become the 20th country in the world to incorporate sustainable aviation fuel into commercial flights. SAF, made from biomass and captured carbon rather than fossil fuels, is environmentally friendly.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), it can cut carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional fuels. Additionally, SAF has a chemical composition similar to conventional jet fuels, allowing it to be used in existing aircraft without requiring any mechanical modifications. Beginning with Norway, which mandated a 0.
5% SAF blend in 2020, and France, which increased its SAF requirement to 1.5% in 2023 from 1% the previous year, 19 countries are now using SAF as a strategy to combat climate change. In line with IATA’s goal to expand global SAF use to over 18 million tons by 2030, up from 240,000 tons in 2022, several countries have announced plans to boost their SAF consumption.
The European Union has announced that member states will be required to blend at least two percent SAF starting in 2025, with the blend increasing to six percent by 2030 and 70 percent by 2050. Singapore and India have also set plans to mandate one percent SAF, beginning in 2026 and 2027, respectively. Additionally, Japan has committed to using 10 percent SAF by 2030.
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