The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate, commencing on 1 January 2025, will deliver reductions in GHG emissions from fuel used in the aviation sector by mandating the use of low carbon aviation fuels. The SAF Mandate includes mandatory carbon and sustainability (C&S) criteria, whereby obligated parties must demonstrate that the fuels supplied as SAF meet these criteria for them to count towards their obligations. The obligated party are also responsible for collecting all fuel quantity data and evidence of development fuels and PtL fuel eligibility against the criteria of the SAF Mandate, if applicable.

The SAF Mandate applies to fuels that a supplier owns at the assessment time that are supplied at, or for delivery to, places in the UK for use in aircraft, including for use in testing aircraft engines. The SAF Mandate places an obligation on any suppliers of relevant aviation turbine fuel who supplies more than 15.9 TJ of total relevant fuel including both renewable and fossil fuel for use in the UK, in an obligation period. For any suppliers whose obligated amount is between 15.9 TJ and 344 TJ, there is no obligation on the first 15.9 TJ supplied, and this is therefore subtracted from the obligated amount.

Reasonable Assurance

For the SAF Mandate, all fuel quantities submitted by obligated parties on the ROS must be independently verified to a ‘reasonable assurance’ level. This is different to the RTFO due to reporting complexities associated with aviation fuels. For example, the SAF mandate applies on an energy basis, whereby standard values will be used to automatically convert the fuel quantity reported in litres or kilograms to energy content (MJ).

The principal method that the Administrator uses to validate fuel quantities for the SAF Mandate will be to use third party verifiers, such as EnviroSense. EnviroSense can provide reasonable assurance and agree to a declaration that they have seen sufficient evidence to validate the fuel quantities entered on ROS.

Reporting Frequency

It is up to the Counterparty to determine how frequently they would like to make a SAF Certificate (SAFC) claim on the ROS, which will also be aligned with the fuel quantity data submission period. The quantity data verification must be provided for the quantity of all aviation fuels so the Administrator can validate the obligated and rewarded fuel quantities. This engagement requires all aviation fuel supply evidence relating to fossil fuel and SAF, so that the overall verification of a supplier complying with their obligation under the SAF Mandate can be verified for the entire obligation period that runs from 1 January to 31 December each year.