Ryanair commits to 12.5% biojet use by 2030

London (Quantum Commodity Intelligence) - Irish budget airline Ryanair is committing to power 12.5% of its flights with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030 it said in a statement Thursday.

The announcement is the latest from a string of airlines straddling both sides of the Atlantic in recent months as operators look to satisfy customers and policymakers that they are taking action to mitigate emissions in a sector that accounts for 2-3% of the global total.

The company also has in place an order for 210 of Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft, which Ryanair calls "Gamechanger", which it expects to also reduce emissions over the next decade through higher fuel efficiency and passenger density.

There are currently only limited mandated requirements from governments to use renewable fuels in aviation, such as the 0.5% requirement from Norway, but alongside maritime transport, aviation is receiving much policy attention as a key sector to decarbonise if net-zero emission economies are to be achieved.

"Ryanair believes that aviation must play a leading role in addressing climate change, and is placing an increased emphasis on mitigating how its business impacts the environment," said the company statement.

Ryanair also announced a €1.5 million donation to Dublin's Trinity College University in order to fund research in SAF, zero carbon aircraft propulsion systems and noise mapping.

"This new knowledge will inform the policies of both EU and international governments on making aviation environmentally and economically sustainable, as well as harness future investments by the aviation industry towards sustainability," added the statement.

Since aviation is currently deemed harder to decarbonise via low carbon pathways, such as renewable electricity or hydrogen, and many countries are now planning to phase out the use of liquid fuels for road transport, the sector is expected to receive the bulk of attention from biofuel producers in future decades, alongside maritime.

Global SAF production capacity will need significant investment in order to meet projected demand though and may never lower in cost enough to be commercially viable at scale and alternative forms of propulsion may yet provide a more economic solution.