Aviation is certainly one of the toughest industries to decarbonize. While electric planes and hydrogen fuel cells may be on the horizon, the immediate solution for reducing emissions from aviation is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). But how sustainable is SAF, really? That’s where Life Cycle Assessment proves valuable.
Life Cycle Assessment for SAF distinguishes real emissions reductions from wishful thinking. With airlines under pressure to cut their carbon footprint, understanding the full environmental impact of Sustainable Aviation Fuel from production to combustion is essential. But here’s the catch: Not all SAF delivers the same sustainability benefits.
Depending on feedstocks, production methods, and supply chains, more than one SAF can have wildly different carbon footprints. Some barely outperform fossil jet fuel, while others slash emissions by over 80% and LCA helps separate the truly sustainable options from the greenwashing.
So, how does Life Cycle Assessment for Sustainable Aviation Fuel work? What factors shape the results? And why are different LCAs giving different answers?
In this blog post, we are breaking it all down, cutting through complexity with real-world examples and expert insights.
Understanding Life Cycle Assessment for SAF
Life Cycle Assessment for Sustainable Aviation Fuel is a science-backed method used to measure its total environmental impact — from raw material extraction to final combustion. Think of it as a full environmental audit, tracking every step in the fuel’s journey. This is essential for airlines, regulators, and sustainability teams looking for verifiable data on SAF’s benefits.
Unlike a simple carbon calculation, LCA accounts for emissions from farming, refining, transportation, and even land-use changes. For instance, SAF derived from waste oils can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel, whereas other feedstocks might offer different benefits.
Regulations like CORSIA and the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive set LCA requirements and airlines rely on LCA to compare SAF options, but the results can vary based on methodologies and assumptions. That’s why understanding how an LCA is conducted — and what factors shape the outcome — is essential for anyone evaluating SAF’s true sustainability impact.
Why LCA matters for Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Life Cycle Assessment is more than a technical exercise in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel sector — it’s a strategic tool that companies use to navigate the complex landscape of environmental responsibility and regulatory compliance while driving operational efficiency and market competitiveness. This makes LCA an indispensable tool for companies navigating sustainability challenges in aviation.
Quantifying environmental impact
Life Cycle Assessment offers a comprehensive evaluation of SAF’s environmental footprint, encompassing stages from feedstock cultivation to combustion. This holistic approach ensures that all emissions, including those from land-use changes and processing, are accounted for, providing a true measure of sustainability.
Guiding feedstock selection
By analyzing the environmental impacts of various feedstocks, LCA assists companies in choosing materials that minimize emissions. For instance, SAF derived from waste oils can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel, whereas other feedstocks might offer different benefits.
Ensuring regulatory compliance
Governments and international bodies often mandate Life Cycle Assessment to verify that SAF producers meet specific environmental standards. This verification is crucial for market access and for airlines aiming to achieve carbon reduction targets.
Enhancing market credibility
Transparent LCA practices bolster a company’s reputation by demonstrating a genuine commitment to sustainability. This transparency can attract environmentally conscious customers and investors, differentiating the company in a competitive market.
Identifying improvement opportunities
Life Cycle Assessment pinpoints stages in the SAF production process where environmental impacts are significant, guiding companies to implement targeted improvements. This continuous optimization leads to more efficient and sustainable operations over time.
How SAF companies are adopting LCA
Companies use Life Cycle Assessment to evaluate and minimize environmental impacts. Several industry leaders have also adopted LCA methodologies to enhance the sustainability of their operations. By integrating this approach into their strategies, these companies not only validate the environmental benefits of their SAF products but also drive innovation and set benchmarks for the industry.
LanzaJet
LanzaJet utilizes LCA to optimize its Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technology, converting waste-based ethanol into SAF. This process reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85% compared to traditional jet fuel. The company is on track to produce over 300 million gallons of SAF annually, with aspirations to reach 1 billion gallons by 2030.
Neste
As the world’s leading SAF producer, Neste employs LCA to ensure its fuels, derived from renewable waste and residues like used cooking oil, achieve up to an 80% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil jet fuel.
Wood PLC
Wood PLC conducts detailed LCAs to verify compliance with lower-carbon aviation fuel standards. By analyzing greenhouse gas emissions associated with jet fuel production, Wood ensures alignment with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and ISO 14067.
Licella Holdings
In Australia, Licella Holdings is leading an $8 million study, funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), to produce SAF from sugarcane waste. This initiative aims to support Brisbane Airport’s demand for cleaner fuel alternatives and explores the potential of local feedstocks to meet SAF requirements.
Unlocking the benefits of LCA in SAF production
Without LCA, accurately measuring emissions and proving sustainability claims becomes challenging. Companies investing in SAF need solid data, not assumptions. Here’s why LCA is a must-have tool in producing truly Sustainable Aviation Fuel:
Sustainability claims
Not all SAF is equally sustainable. Life Cycle Assessment exposes the full carbon footprint, from raw materials to jet engine emissions. For example, SAF from used cooking oil has a lower carbon intensity than one made from palm oil linked to deforestation. Without LCA, greenwashing would be far too easy.
Production efficiency
By analyzing every stage of production, Life Cycle Assessment pinpoints high-emission hotspots. Maybe it’s the hydrogen source in a Fischer-Tropsch process, or excessive energy use in refining. Fixing these inefficiencies can significantly lower emissions.
Regulatory standards
Authorities like the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Europe Union require Life Cycle Assessment for SAF to qualify under emissions reduction programs. Without one, producers can’t claim credits or incentives — making compliance nearly impossible.
Investor and airline confidence
Airlines and investors need proof that a SAF producer is truly reducing emissions. LCA-backed transparency builds trust, making it easier to secure contracts and funding.
Industry scalability
As SAF production scales up, so do potential emissions. Life Cycle Assessment helps companies expand while keeping sustainability intact, ensuring future growth doesn’t come at the cost of higher carbon footprints.
Leveraging LCA software for Sustainable Aviation Fuel
LCA software is changing how Sustainable Aviation Fuel producers measure and improve their environmental impact. Instead of relying on static spreadsheets and complex manual calculations, companies are using advanced tools to analyze emissions, track regulatory compliance, and refine production processes — all in real time.
Automated LCA software helps SAF producers calculate carbon intensity at every stage, from feedstock sourcing to final combustion. For example, Argonne National Laboratory’s GREET model is widely used to assess the life-cycle emissions of various SAF pathways, and are frequently utilized to report impacts to sustainability programs like ISCC CORSIA and the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive.
Beyond compliance, software-driven LCA models allow companies to forecast different production scenarios, compare feedstock options, and optimize supply chains for lower emissions. By streamlining these processes, SAF producers can move faster, cut costs, and provide data-backed sustainability claims that airlines and regulators can trust.
Here are 4 ways LCA software is making a significant impact:
Comprehensive environmental impact analysis
LCA software allows companies to assess the environmental impact of SAF across its entire lifecycle — from feedstock cultivation to fuel production and combustion. This holistic approach ensures that all stages are evaluated for their sustainability performance.
Compliance with regulatory standards
With stringent regulations governing aviation emissions, LCA software helps companies align with standards set by bodies like the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). By accurately calculating life cycle emissions, companies can demonstrate compliance and avoid potential penalties.
Data-driven decision making
LCA software provides detailed data analytics, enabling companies to identify areas for improvement in their SAF production processes. For example, by analyzing emissions data, companies can optimize feedstock selection and processing methods to reduce their carbon footprint.
Enhanced transparency and credibility
Utilizing LCA software enhances transparency in reporting environmental impacts, which is crucial for building trust with stakeholders. Accurate and verifiable data on emissions reductions bolster a company’s credibility in the market.
Industry-driven LCA templates
LCA templates designed specifically for the Aviation industry make life easier for sustainability teams, cutting through complexity with pre-built models tailored for SAF. In other words, if you need to compare feedstocks or meet CORSIA requirements, these templates do the heavy lifting, ensuring accurate, audit-ready assessments without starting from scratch.
Overcoming the challenges and limitations of LCA for SAF
While Life Cycle Assessment is invaluable for evaluating Sustainable Aviation Fuel, it’s not without its challenges. The process can be complex, data-intensive, and subject to several limitations. Here’s a look at some of the key hurdles companies face when implementing LCA for SAF:
Variability in data quality and availability
One of the biggest challenges in Life Cycle Assessment for SAF is the inconsistency in data. Emissions factors can vary widely depending on the feedstocks, technologies, and processes involved in production. Without reliable, region-specific data, it’s tough to get an accurate picture of SAF’s environmental impact. For instance, feedstock production methods (e.g., waste oils vs. virgin crops) can significantly influence results, but data may be incomplete or unavailable, leading to uncertainties in LCA outcomes.
Differences in methodologies
There’s no universal standard for conducting LCA, which means that results can differ depending on the methodology used. Different models and assumptions — such as how land-use changes or transportation emissions are accounted for — can lead to divergent conclusions. This lack of consistency can make it harder for companies and regulators to compare SAF products accurately. A study by the European Commission found that the same SAF could have emissions estimates differing by as much as 30% depending on the Life Cycle Assessment methodology applied.
System boundary complexity
Life Cycle Assessment involves assessing every stage of SAF’s life cycle, but defining the boundaries of that system isn’t always straightforward. Should the analysis account for land-use changes, like deforestation, or focus solely on direct emissions from production and use? These boundary decisions can greatly impact the results. SAF produced from forest biomass, for example, might appear to have a higher carbon footprint due to land-use changes, even though it offers long-term sequestration benefits.
Evolving technologies and data gaps
With SAF production technologies still evolving, it’s hard to accurately predict future impacts. New feedstocks, such as algae or synthetic biology, are showing promise, but there’s a lack of real-world data on their emissions and environmental costs. As technologies improve, LCAs will need to be regularly updated to reflect these changes — leading to a situation where the most up-to-date Life Cycle Assessment may not always provide a complete view.
What’s next for SAF and LCA in the Aviation industry
As we look ahead, the future of Life Cycle Assessment in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel sector is bright, but it’s also filled with challenges and opportunities.
With SAF demand on the rise, companies are relying more on LCA to ensure they choose the most sustainable options. The industry is moving toward more standardized, transparent Life Cycle Assessment methodologies, which will lead to better comparisons across different SAF production pathways. With advances in LCA software, the process is becoming more automated and accessible, empowering companies to make more data-driven decisions at scale.
Looking further ahead, we could see more integration between LCA and other sustainability frameworks, driving even deeper insights into not just emissions but also resource use, land impact, and social factors. The future of SAF relies on these innovations to help ensure that every step of production is as green as possible, rather than just focusing on fuel burn.
Interested in how Life Cycle Assessment is making a difference across multiple industries? Check out our blog post on 8 industries using LCAs to drive sustainability.
