A Chinese biofuel firm has become the first private enterprise to export sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from China, marking a milestone in the country’s growing green energy sector. Zhejiang Jiaao Enprotech announced on May 7 that its subsidiary had exported 13,400 tonnes of SAF to an international buyer, although the destination was not disclosed, reports Dialogue Earth.
The company received an export license after being added last month to a government-approved “exporter whitelist,” making it the first private business in China to receive such status. This approval allows Zhejiang Jiaao to export its full annual capacity of approximately 370,000 tonnes of SAF in 2024.
Other Chinese biofuel producers have also applied for SAF export licenses and are expected to follow suit soon, according to the Global Zero Carbon channel on WeChat.
China currently lacks a specific harmonised system (HS) code for SAF—a global classification tool used for traded goods. In this case, Zhejiang Jiaao was permitted to export under the existing HS code for “jet fuel (excluding biodiesel),” setting a precedent for future SAF exports.
Much of China’s exports of used cooking oil (UCO), the primary raw material for SAF, have gone to the European Union. In 2023, over 90% of China’s UCO exports were shipped to EU countries, a trend expected to continue with new EU rules requiring flights departing from member states to use fuel containing at least 2% SAF starting in 2025.
Domestically, China’s demand for SAF is also growing. Several commercial flights trialled the use of the fuel in late 2024. By the end of that year, the country had reached an annual SAF production capacity of 350,000 tonnes, with planned projects pushing that number beyond 3.5 million tonnes, according to Caijing.
To support local production, China cancelled its export tax rebate for UCO in December, aiming to prioritise domestic supply for biodiesel and SAF manufacturers.
