SAF is the generic term for all aviation fuels produced without the use of fossil-based raw materials such as petroleum or natural gas. SAF is a key technology for making air travel more sustainable and is essential for the energy transition in aviation. Various manufacturing processes and a variety of raw materials are available as energy sources. The current generation of SAF used by Lufthansa Group is produced mainly from biogenic waste materials, such as used cooking oils and fats.
The combustion of SAF and fossil kerosene produces identical amounts of CO2. However, the biogenic waste materials (such as used cooking oil) used for SAF production have previously removed CO2 from the atmosphere. Consequently, when SAF is burned, only as much CO2 is emitted as was previously removed from the atmosphere by the feedstock. As the production processes and transportation of SAF currently still generate fossil CO2, SAF does not completely reduce CO2 emissions by 100% across the entire supply chain compared to fossil kerosene. However, the Lufthansa Group guarantees that their current SAF reduces CO2 emissions by at least 80% on an annual average compared to fossil kerosene.
The SAF currently used by the Lufthansa Group is produced from biogenic waste materials such as used cooking oils using the HEFA (hydroprocessed esters & fatty acids) process. It guarantees a greenhouse gas reduction of at least 80% compared to fossil kerosene.
SAF plays a central role in achieving the goal of CO2-neutral aviation by 2050. The Lufthansa Group has been actively involved in SAF research for many years and is a driving force behind introducing the next-generation of sustainable aviation fuels. Examples of such future-oriented technologies include Power-to-Liquid (PtL) and Sun-to-Liquid (StL) processes, which rely on renewable electricity or solar heat as energy sources.
The Lufthansa Group sources SAF from established suppliers in Europe. The SAF is purchased by the Lufthansa Group’s fuel management department, blended with fossil kerosene by the supplier, and then physically transported to airports in Europe where the Lufthansa Group uplifts with large quantities of kerosene.
Lufthansa Group passengers can already contribute to reducing the climate impact of future flights. This can be done either by saving CO2 emissions through the use of SAF, or else by removing or avoiding CO2 emissions through high-quality climate protection projects. Combined, the contribution corresponds to the estimated individual flight-related CO2 emissions. This option can be selected and purchased directly during the booking process. In addition, the Lufthansa Group offers Green Fares, a fare option with a fixed SAF component.
When an option to make air travel more sustainable with SAF and a contribution to the high-quality climate protection project portfolio is booked, Lufthansa Group procures the amount of SAF required to achieve the desired partial CO2 saving and feeds it into its flight operations within six months.
No, due to the remaining CO2 emissions from the production and transportation of SAF, current SAF technologies cannot reduce 100% of a flight’s emissions. However, the Lufthansa Group is currently using SAF that reduces emissions by at least 80% compared to fossil kerosene.
No, booking an option for more sustainable flying does not lead to an individual SAF uplift on the booked flight. It supports the general use of SAF within the Lufthansa Group’s route network. What matters is that the additional SAF, corresponding to the passenger’s contribution, is used within the Lufthansa Group’s flight operations, ensuring the CO2 saving. The Lufthansa Group guarantees that the SAF will be fed into its flight operations within six months of the passenger’s flight departure.
No, any SAF that is part of the Lufthansa Group’s offers for passengers is purchased in addition to the existing EU SAF mandate of 2%, the costs of which are already factored into the ticket price, and is fed into the Group’s flight operations within six months of the respective flight.
The Lufthansa Group calculates the price premium incurred to replace fossil kerosene with SAF for an individual flight.
For a flight, an algorithm determines the amount of CO2 per passenger based on the booking class and aircraft type. For the estimated amount, passengers can contribute to a high-quality climate project portfolio in combination with the use of SAF. The price premium for SAF to the customer is primarily based on prevailing market procurement costs.
The current amount of SAF available globally remains extremely small. By the end of 2024, only around 0.3% (=1,000,000 tons) of the global fuel demand is of non-fossil origin. This is not yet sufficient to enable large-scale use of SAF in flight operations. In 2024, the Lufthansa Group used around 20,000 tons of SAF, which accounted for around 0.2% of the Lufthansa Group’s total fuel demand. Over the coming years, the Lufthansa Group intends to successively increase this amount. The Lufthansa Group ensures that customer demand for SAF can be met. However, the aviation industry cannot initiate a self-sustaining market on its own.
The price of SAF depends on technology and oil price development. Currently, the market price for existing SAF from biogenic waste materials is three to five times higher than the price of fossil kerosene. Next-generation SAF is currently only available in very small quantities and is still up to ten times more expensive than fossil kerosene. The Lufthansa Group is involved in various projects to ensure that sustainable aviation fuels become available in larger quantities as quickly as possible.
Electricity-based fuels, known as Power-to-Liquid fuels (PtL) or “eFuels,” also fall under the category of sustainable aviation fuels. This next generation of SAF is produced using renewable electricity, water and CO2 (taken from the atmosphere) to create a synthetic crude oil, which can be processed into kerosene PtL aviation fuels are still under development towards industrial-scale production, however, they are considered promising from an environmental and scaling perspective.
In Sun-to-Liquid (StL) technology, high-temperature solar heat, water, and CO2 (taken from the atmosphere) are used to produce a synthesis gas, which can then be converted into liquid fuel such as kerosene using standard industrial processes. Thus StL fuel closes the CO2 cycle as it releases only as much CO2 when it is combusted as was previously used in its production. The Lufthansa Group is driving the development of this technology and cooperates with the Swiss solar fuel pioneer Synhelion.