Indonesia’s Lion Air targets SAF usage on all flights by 2030

Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air is planning to use a percentage of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on all of its flights by 2030 as part of its commitment to decrease its carbon emissions.

“[Hopefully] SAF prices will be competitive so the largest cost component of the aircraft will not increase. We hope that by 2030 all of our fleet will use SAF,” said Daniel Putut Kuncoro, president, Lion Air Group.

He further said that beyond SAF, the airline will also make investments into environmentally friendly aircraft while upgrading its fleet to decrease the overall carbon footprint from operations.

Indonesian government has been working on introducing national SAF policy.

Meanwhile, Indonesian firms have taken steps to increase the availability of SAF in the country by importing the SAF from international producers. Towards this, earlier in June, Indonesian state-owned oil and natural gas corporation Pertamina Patra Niaga issued a tender to procure SAF in the first week of August, reports showed.

The corporation is seeking to purchase 150 kilolitres of (943 barrels) of neat SAF through iso tanks or 3,500 kilolitres of blended SAF with a 30% neat SAF.

Indonesia also produces majority of the key bio feedstocks currently used in production of biofuels including SAF, HVO and renewable diesel around the world.

In 2022, Shell acquired EcoOil, a waste recycling company renowned for producing advanced biofuel feedstock at its Malaysian and Indonesian facilities, to secure feedstock for biofuel production planned by the energy giant around the world.