Brussels: Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) accounted for around 2.79% of aviation fuel supplied in the European Union in 2025, nearly six times the volume recorded in 2024, according to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) annual ReFuelEU Aviation technical report, Biomass Magazine reported.
The report, released on September 17, said aviation fuel suppliers reported supplying 39.3 million tonnes of aviation fuel to aircraft operators under the ReFuelEU Aviation framework last year. SAF accounted for approximately 1.1 million tonnes of the total.
The ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation requires a minimum SAF share of 2% from 2025. The latest data therefore shows SAF use exceeding the mandatory threshold in the first year of the regulation’s main obligations.
Supplier reporting also improved significantly. EASA received required data from 102 of the 115 obligated aviation fuel suppliers for 2025, representing a 90% reporting completion rate, compared with 67% for 2024.
UCO-based SAF dominates
Used cooking oil (UCO)-based SAF accounted for approximately 80% of SAF supplied at EU airports in 2025. Advanced SAF represented 8%, while other aviation biofuels accounted for 11%.
Although most SAF used in the EU was produced domestically, the report estimates that around 85% of the feedstock used to produce it was imported.
China was the largest source, accounting for around 61% of imported feedstock, followed by Malaysia at 8%, Indonesia at 5% and the UK at 3%.
Around 173,000 tonnes, or 16% of the total SAF supplied in the EU, was imported directly.
SAF concentrated in major markets and airports
The Netherlands received the largest share of SAF among EU member states at 29%, followed by Spain at 14%, Germany at 11%, Italy at 10% and France at 10%.
SAF was supplied at 121 EU airports, representing 79% of all airports covered by the framework.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol accounted for 29% of total SAF supplied, followed by Frankfurt Airport at 8% and Paris Charles de Gaulle at 7%.
The market also remained relatively concentrated among suppliers. Twenty aviation fuel suppliers accounted for 70% of the 1.1 million tonnes of SAF supplied in the EU during 2025. In 2024, fewer than 10 suppliers accounted for 80% of SAF supply.
The ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation’s primary obligations came into force on January 1, 2025, with EASA required to publish an annual technical report on implementation.
The latest report highlights rapid growth in SAF use while also showing the EU’s continued reliance on imported feedstocks, particularly for UCO-based SAF production.
