Hong Kong launches coalition to increase SAF usage
Hong Kong’s Business Environment Council (BEC) has joined Cathay Pacific and 13 other firms in the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) value chain to launch Hong Kong Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition (HKSAFC) to support the aviation sector’s decarbonisation.
“The government fully endorses the direction of using SAF to decarbonise the aviation sector which helps maintaining the leading position of Hong Kong International Airport (“HKIA”) in green and sustainable development. The availability of SAF at airports will be, if not has been, one of the major considerations of airlines in flight planning and expansion,” said Mr Liu Chun San, JP, Acting Secretary for Transport and Logistics, while speaking at the launch of coalition.
The HKSAFC is a multi-stakeholder platform in the region that brings together the aviation industry, SAF producers, fuel suppliers, infrastructure developers, corporate users and policymakers to collaborate on advancing the development, supply and use of SAF.
Meanwhile, HKSAFC CEO Simon Ng said: “Aviation is widely recognised as one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonise. In the foreseeable future, SAF is considered the most viable way for decarbonising the sector. Through the launch of HKSAFC, BEC will engage with multiple stakeholders to accelerate the deployment of SAF at Hong Kong International Airport, ensuring its availability and affordability.”
In October 2023, the Hong Kong highlighted the importance of SAF in its 2023 Policy Address, emphasising forward-looking planning to drive the use of SAF in Hong Kong.
The HKSAFC aims to facilitate the adoption of SAF in Hong Kong by conducting whitepaper research on SAF development, engaging with different stakeholders and the government, and raising public awareness of the benefits as well as challenges of SAF.
The coalition also seeks to grow Hong Kong as a regional SAF hub that can contribute to global climate mitigation efforts and China’s carbon-neutrality target.
Cathay Pacific, co-initiator of the coalition, is joined by AFSC Operations Limited, Airport Authority Hong Kong, Board of Airline Representatives Hong Kong, Business Environment Council, China Aviation Oil (Hong Kong) Company, ECO Aviation Fuel Services, EcoCeres, PetroChina International (Hong Kong) Corporation, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Shell Aviation, Sinopec (Hong Kong) Aviation, Standard Chartered Bank and Swire Pacific.