The annual report, which covers the first year of compliance with the regulation, found that SAF accounted for 2.8% of aviation fuel supplied at EU airports in 2025, surpassing the mandatory minimum share of 2%.  

Fuel suppliers reported supplying 39.3mn t of aviation fuel at EU airports during the year, including 1.1mn t of SAF. The volume of SAF supplied increased from 193,000 t in 2024 to 1.1mn t in 2025, representing an almost six-fold rise.  

According to the report, 84% of SAF supplied in the EU was produced within the bloc. SAF was delivered to 121 airports across all 27 EU member states, compared with 33 airports in 2024.  

The report also found growth in production capacity. The number of member states with operational or announced SAF production facilities increased to 18 in 2025, with the findings indicating that EU production capacity remains on track to meet the regulation’s overall 6% SAF blending target for 2030. The next jump in the ReFuelEU target is 20% in 2035, 34% by 2040 and continuing to rise toward 70% by 2050, according to a report from sustainability consultancy Vurdhaan.

Progress was also reported in synthetic aviation fuel production, including the launch of the first EU-based demonstration plant. Around 50 projects were awaiting final investment decisions at the end of 2025. The 2030 target for synthetic aviation fuel is 1.2%.  

Eight European Union member states launched the eSAF Early Movers Coalition under the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan. As part of the initiative, Germany, Luxembourg and Austria plan to launch a pilot double-sided auction backed by more than €2.1bn in funding. The European Commission is also studying the potential creation of an EU financing mechanism.  

UK sets out SAF contract allocation strategy

By comparison to Europe, the UK’s own SAF Mandate, which started in 2025 at 2% of total UK jet fuel demand, is increasing linearly to 10% in 2030 and then to 22% in 2040.

In support of that, the UK government has set out plans for its first allocation round under the SAF Revenue Certainty Mechanism, targeting up to 230,000 t/y of SAF production capacity.

Published by the Department for Transport in July, the strategy is intended to give producers greater revenue certainty by providing government-backed contracts that guarantee an agreed price for SAF. The scheme will be funded through a levy on aviation fuel suppliers.

Applications are expected to open in 1Q2027, with contracts potentially awarded from 4Q2028. The government will use a combination of competitive tendering and bilateral negotiations, rather than a conventional price-only auction.

The government said the approach reflects the relative immaturity of the SAF market and the range of technologies and feedstocks being developed. Projects will be assessed on factors including deliverability and value for money, with no specific technology, including power-to-liquids, receiving a dedicated allocation.

The targeted capacity could deliver an estimated 740,000 t of CO₂e emissions savings. Government estimates suggest levy payments could reach around £3bn over 15 years, depending on future SAF prices.

A second, larger allocation round is expected to follow.