SAF is the tightest specification and the heaviest documentation of anything we broker, and the demand under it is a legal obligation rather than a commercial preference. We work between producers, aviation fuel suppliers, airlines and traders on neat and blended volume. Most of what actually moves today is HEFA-SPK, synthesized paraffinic kerosene from hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids, made from the same fats and oils that make HVO. It is certified under ASTM D7566 Annex A2, blends into conventional jet at up to 50 %, and once blended and released the fuel is redesignated as meeting ASTM D1655 and handled exactly like conventional jet fuel.
The obligation that makes the market
ReFuelEU Aviation obliges aviation fuel suppliers at EU airports to supply a minimum share of SAF: 2 % from 2025, rising to 6 % from 2030 and further thereafter, with a separate sub-obligation for synthetic aviation fuels. That single fact explains most of how this market behaves.
Because the obligation is legal and the penalties are real, volume is contracted forward by parties who must cover it. Spot SAF is scarce, and "available now" offers deserve more scrutiny than they usually receive, in a mandate-driven market, genuinely uncommitted volume is the exception.
Alongside the EU obligation sits CORSIA, the ICAO global scheme, which uses its own eligibility rules and its own certification. A batch qualifying under one framework does not automatically qualify under the other, and conflating them is a common and expensive mistake.
Specification, pathways and blending
SAF is not one product but a family of certified production pathways, each an annex to ASTM D7566, each with its own maximum blending ratio into conventional jet fuel. Once blended within the limit and released, the resulting fuel meets the conventional jet specification and is handled identically, same tanks, same hydrant, same aircraft.
- HEFA-SPK (Annex A2): synthesized paraffinic kerosene from hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids, from fats, oils and greases. Blends at up to 50 %. The commercially mature pathway and the overwhelming majority of what trades today. Also written HEFA, and the two names mean the same fuel.
- Alcohol-to-jet (ATJ): from ethanol or isobutanol.
- Fischer-Tropsch (FT-SPK): from gasification of biomass or waste.
- Synthetic / e-SAF (PtL): from renewable hydrogen and captured CO2. The subject of the separate ReFuelEU sub-obligation and, today, very limited volume.
- Each pathway has a defined maximum blend ratio under its D7566 annex. Confirm the ratio for the specific pathway rather than assuming a single figure applies across all of them.
| Pathway and D7566 annex | HEFA, ATJ, FT-SPK or synthetic, with the applicable blending limit. |
|---|---|
| Neat or blended | Neat SAF before blending, or blended and released to jet specification. |
| Certification scheme | ISCC EU, ISCC CORSIA, RSB, matched to the claim the buyer needs to make. |
| Framework | ReFuelEU, CORSIA or a voluntary corporate claim. Not interchangeable. |
| GHG saving | The actual figure on the proof of sustainability. |
| Feedstock | Annex IX status; drives eligibility and the cap that applies. |
| Delivery point | Airport, terminal or refinery gate; who performs the blend and the release. |
| Physical or book-and-claim | Whether the molecules and the claim travel together, and whether the buyer's framework permits separation. |
| Chain of custody | Mass balance and the accounting period. |
Book-and-claim, and where it does not work
Because SAF is physically scarce and airports are not evenly supplied, book-and-claim structures let a buyer fund SAF delivered elsewhere and claim the environmental attribute. That is legitimate and useful, but it is scheme-specific, and the rules differ between ISCC CORSIA, RSB and national systems.
The right first question is therefore never "can I buy book-and-claim SAF" but "what exactly does the buyer need to claim, to whom, and under which framework". A corporate voluntary claim, a CORSIA offsetting claim and a ReFuelEU compliance obligation are three different things, and a structure that satisfies one may be worthless for another.
How we broker it
We work between producers placing volume, aviation fuel suppliers covering the ReFuelEU obligation, airlines and corporate buyers.
We are candid about what we can and cannot verify. SAF attracts a great deal of speculative offering, volumes that do not exist, pathways that are not certified, and documentation that will not survive an auditor. Where we cannot establish the pathway, the scheme and the chain of custody, we say so rather than pass the offer on. In this market a broker's value is largely in what they decline to forward.
The feedstock side is on used cooking oil, animal fats and POME; the sister products from the same process are HVO and bionaphtha.
Frequently asked questions
What is HEFA SAF?
HEFA, hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids, is the commercially mature route to sustainable aviation fuel, made from the same fats and oils used for HVO. It is certified under ASTM D7566 with a defined maximum blending ratio into conventional jet fuel, and it accounts for the overwhelming majority of SAF trading today.
What does ReFuelEU Aviation require?
Aviation fuel suppliers at EU airports must supply a minimum share of SAF: 2 % from 2025, rising to 6 % from 2030 and increasing further thereafter, with a separate sub-obligation for synthetic aviation fuels. It is the main reason SAF is contracted forward rather than bought spot.
Can SAF be used neat in aircraft?
Not under current certification. Each ASTM D7566 pathway carries a maximum blending ratio into conventional jet fuel, and once blended within that limit and released, the fuel meets the conventional jet specification and is handled identically. Confirm the limit for the specific pathway rather than assuming one figure applies to all of them.
What is book-and-claim SAF?
A structure where a buyer funds SAF physically delivered elsewhere and claims the environmental attribute, used because SAF is scarce and unevenly distributed across airports. It is scheme-specific, the rules differ between ISCC CORSIA, RSB and national systems, so the first question is always what the buyer needs to claim and under which framework.
Is CORSIA the same as the EU SAF mandate?
No, and treating them as interchangeable is a costly mistake. CORSIA is the ICAO global scheme with its own eligibility criteria and certification; ReFuelEU Aviation is an EU supply obligation. A batch that qualifies under one does not automatically qualify under the other, so the framework has to be named before anything else is agreed.
Why are so many SAF offers not real?
Because demand is mandated and supply is scarce, which attracts speculative offering: volumes that do not exist, pathways that are not certified, and paperwork that will not survive an audit. We decline to forward offers where we cannot establish the pathway, the certification scheme and the chain of custody, in this market that filtering is a large part of what a broker is for.
Who to ask about SAF (aviation fuel)
Ask us. SAF to place or an obligation to cover? Tell us the pathway, the scheme and the delivery point. We answer the same working day, in English or Dutch, and there is no charge and no obligation for a market read or a second opinion on a specification.
You get Bart van den Brug directly, not a call centre and not a form that goes nowhere. We are an independent broker: we never take title, we do not trade our own book, and we are paid a commission only on business that actually concludes. That is why we will also tell you when the answer is no.
+31 6 115 83 448
[email protected]
Sustainable Commodities 3 B.V., Lemmer, the Netherlands
Last reviewed 09 August 2026 by Bart van den Brug, Sustainable Commodities 3 B.V. (KvK 99665042), Lemmer, the Netherlands. Regulatory references are given for orientation and are not legal advice; verify against the current Official Journal text before contracting.