EASA | Aviation Authorities’ Research Agenda 2024
This research project aims to support and coordinate in the European Union the development of new
SAF production pathways at a high TRL with dedicated research activities leading up to full fuel
qualification, necessary to ensure airworthiness at aircraft/engine level and using the processes
established by EASA under its EU Clearing House for SAF.
EASA has been tasked to develop and demonstrate the set-up of an EU Clearing house for SAF, which
aims to develop the necessary processes and procedures to facilitate the qualification of novel SAF
production pathways. The qualification of novel pathways is currently governed by the ASTM process
and aims to test and qualify the new fuel types against technical and safety standards, which are
accepted by EASA for applicants wanting to obtain type certification of aircraft and engines. The cost for
the final research activities and related qualification of new SAF pathways has mostly been borne by the
US Air Force and the FAA CLEEN programme, using the procedures of the US Clearing House for SAF.
Therefore, there could be a general risk for EU stakeholders to become too dependent on non-EU
funding and processes, which may lead to further risks as regards setting safety, environmental and
competitiveness priorities.
Furthermore, the quantity of SAF is constrained due to the limited variety and capacity of feedstocks
available for its production. Given the pressing need to maximize SAF production capacity to ensure that
the climate targets can be achieved, approving new SAF pathways becomes crucial. At the same time, it
is important that the qualification of the new SAF types and its distribution does not lead to potential
unsafe conditions at aircraft level.
Expected mid-term benefits
With this research topic, the EU has an opportunity to strengthen its capacity in the domain of SAF by
ensuring processes and funds are in place to allow for sustainable and safe new fuel types to enter the
EU market. A successful completion of the project will yield to:
− Enhanced fuel diversity: with additional SAF production pathways qualified, the European SAF
industry would benefit from a more diverse range of feedstocks and technologies, ensuring
resilience against disruptions.
− Enhanced fuel production yields: additional research activities using the ‘EU Clearing House for
SAF’ process would assist fuel producers to optimize their production yields for targeted use of
SAF in aviation. This will lead to a long-term benefit of reduced fuel costs for operators.
− Boosted R&D Capabilities: fortified European fuel R&D infrastructure would lead to increased
innovation, potentially positioning Europe as a global leader in SAF research and technology.
− Improved Safety Standards: establishing robust Means of Compliance would ensure that SAF-
optimized aircraft designs and operations are both safe and efficient, setting a gold standard for
the global aviation industry; activities are and will continue to be fully integrated into
international standard setting,
