Data released by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) shows that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) accounted for 1.63% of total jet fuel supplied between January and late October 2025, raising questions over whether the UK will meet the first-year target under its SAF Mandate. During the period, 163 million litres of SAF were supplied out of a total 10 billion litres of aviation fuel, reports GreenAir.
Some industry observers say the figures suggest the UK may fall short of the 2% requirement for 2025. However, the DfT has said the data is provisional, as not all fuel suppliers have submitted final returns. The department has indicated that confirmed figures will not be published until November 2026. Industry group Sustainable Aviation has said it remains confident that the mandate target for 2025 will be achieved.
According to the data, all SAF supplied during the period was produced from used cooking oil. China accounted for 72% of the feedstock, with the remaining volumes sourced from Japan and Taiwan. At the same time, legislation aimed at supporting SAF producers through a revenue certainty mechanism (RCM) is progressing through Parliament, and the DfT has opened a new consultation on how contracts under the scheme would be awarded.
The DfT statistics cover all aviation fuel reported as supplied up to October 27, including volumes that have not yet been verified. This includes SAF that has not been formally certified as sustainable or issued with certificates. The data also shows how much of the SAF supplied has already been certified.
Under the SAF Mandate, fuel volumes must be fully validated before they can be counted toward suppliers’ compliance obligations. This requirement creates a delay between the physical delivery of SAF and its formal recognition for mandate purposes.
Commenting on the figures, Sustainable Aviation Chief Executive Duncan McCourt said the data shows that SAF use in the UK is already significant and that the industry expects the mandate to be met, with SAF use increasing steadily in the coming years.
Even if the 2% target is narrowly missed, the UK’s SAF use in 2025 is expected to exceed global progress. The International Air Transport Association has estimated that SAF will account for only 0.6% of global jet fuel consumption in 2025, rising to 0.8% in 2026.
The UK SAF Mandate increases each year to reach a 10% requirement by 2030. From 2027, limits will be introduced on fuels made from hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids, including those derived from used cooking oil. By comparison, the EU’s SAF mandate also sets a 2% requirement for 2025 but has a lower target of 6% by 2030, which includes a 0.7% requirement for synthetic fuels.
The UK government is advancing legislation to introduce the RCM, which it expects to have in place by the end of 2026. The mechanism is designed to support investment in new SAF projects by providing predictable revenues and is to be funded through a levy on aviation fuel suppliers.
The DfT has held several public consultations on the scheme and has now launched another covering two key areas: proposed contract terms for RCM agreements and the process for allocating contracts to projects. The consultation is open until April 3.
Explaining the mechanism, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the contracts would set a fixed reference price for SAF. If market prices fall below that level, producers would receive payments to cover the difference, while higher prices would require producers to pay the excess back. She said the approach is intended to remove a major barrier to investment and demonstrate that the UK is a serious location for SAF development.
