(Yicai) June 12 -- The Chinese government needs to introduce policy support for the large-scale production of sustainable aviation fuels in order to reduce costs and form a healthy and effective market, the North Asia Vice President of the International Air Transport Association told Yicai in an exclusive interview.

The price of sustainable aviation fuel is three to five times higher than that of normal jet fuel, Xie Xingquan said at the IATA’s recently concluded annual general meeting. The government must roll out laws and regulations to provide policy support and guidance to boost production of this fuel.

Sustainable aviation fuels, which are made from bio-hydrocarbon materials such as biomass and used cooking oil, can cut carbon emissions by up to 85 percent compared with normal jet fuel.

In order to produce more sustainable aviation fuel, a wider selection of raw materials is needed, Xie said. Around 80 percent of the sustainable aviation fuel produced in the next five years is likely to come from hydrogenated fatty acids, such as waste cooking oil and animal fats. But by bringing in other raw materials, such as urban waste and agricultural residues, this will greatly increase their production potential.

The ample supply of sustainable aviation fuels at an affordable price is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving carbon neutrality in the civil aviation sector, industry insider Lin Zhijie told Yicai. At present, limited production capacity and high prices are holding back the use of these fuels.

The government should help spur the use of sustainable aviation fuels through supportive policies, just as it did with wind and solar power, Lin said.

China’s self-developed C919 large passenger aircraft and ARJ21 regional jetliner both recently completed test flights using a blend of sustainable aviation fuel produced by oil major Sinopec, which was produced from waste, or gutter, cooking oil.

The country’s civil aviation sector will strive to use 20,000 tons of sustainable aviation fuel in 2025, bringing cumulative consumption of 50,000 tons and accounting for 0.2 percent of the country’s jet fuel consumption, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Kim Taylor