With the European Commission’s unveiling of its Sustainable Transport Investment Plan, Project SkyPower, a global alliance committed to see e-SAF become a reality this decade, have welcomed the news. Please find below their statement. If you would like to speak to some at Project SkyPower about progress around e-SAF, please let me know.Project SkyPower statement:
We welcome the European Commission’s Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) and its recognition of the strategic importance of e-SAF in strengthening Europe’s industrial competitiveness and energy security. The inclusion of concrete measures to advance first-of-a-kind projects to Final Investment Decision marks a decisive step forward.

Project SkyPower’s 20 CEOs and over 80 members represent the full e-SAF value chain—from renewable energy providers to offtakers and fuel suppliers. We know that e-SAF represents a once-in-a-century opportunity to decarbonise aviation, reinforce Europe’s global leadership in clean technologies, and enhance energy resilience in uncertain times. The STIP is a critical instrument for turning this potential into a thriving global e-SAF market valued at EUR 350 billion.

Over the past two years, we have worked collaboratively to unlock this opportunity—analysing key challenges and presenting solutions to the European Commission to bridge the gap between producers and offtakers, align incentives, and achieve commercial scale. We therefore warmly welcome the STIP’s recognition that public support in the near and medium term is essential to de-risk investment in e-SAF. As the 2030 ReFuelEU sub-mandate approaches, measures that address key market failures and competitive risks across the value chain are vital to enable producers, offtakers, and financiers to act.

We are particularly encouraged by the STIP’s concrete measures to establish a double-sided auction mechanism and to coordinate and facilitate Member State participation in a pilot auction for e-SAF. The Commission’s technical and political support will be crucial to delivering a successful nationally-funded pilot auction by mid-2026.

The continuity provided by the extension of SAF allowances and other existing support mechanisms—alongside the Commission’s willingness to explore additional regulatory measures that enable scaling of SAF with minimal market distortion—is equally positive.

The plan offers welcome clarity on regulatory developments over the next five years. But it must also signal the moment when implementation begins in earnest. The opportunity to secure Europe’s leadership in low-carbon fuels—and position European airlines at the forefront of sustainable aviation worldwide—has never been closer. The STIP lays out an ambitious and encouraging work programme; now, the Commission and Member States must match that ambition in delivery.

Source: Words for Industry