The aviation industry is interested in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Latvia, at the same time, the further development of the plans requires a unified view of specific technology, industry demand and project costs.
This is what aviation industry experts judged at the Aviation Think Tank organized by the Ministry of Transport and the Latvian Aviation Association on November 4.
As everywhere in the world, in Latvia, the factors of green energy and climate neutrality are becoming decisive for the functioning of the sustainable aviation industry. Currently, 38 of the world’s leading airlines have already committed to achieving full climate neutrality of their operations by 2050 and 30 of them plan to achieve a 10% share of SAF, or sustainable aviation fuel, by 2030. .
“The aviation industry has a significant impact on the national economy of Latvia, therefore, in order to ensure leadership in the Baltic countries and compete with the aeronautical centers of the Nordic countries, it is important to follow all the latest trends and speak with national partners. and foreigners on the involvement of Latvian companies in the research and production processes of SAF fuel technologies. This is necessary to achieve the objectives of environmental neutrality and ensure the energy independence of our aviation industry, as well as strengthen competitiveness and ensure future growth ” , says Artūrs Kokars, Director of the Aviation Department of the Ministry of Transport.
At the think tank, aviation industry experts discussed potential SAF manufacturing technologies that could be used in Latvia and the regional demand that a manufacturing facility in Latvia could meet. At the same time, the participants agreed: although it is important to observe and borrow the experience of other countries, the production of SAF can offer great opportunities for Latvia, so you should not hesitate to implement this idea of a production plant in home. Industry representatives expressed their belief that Latvia is a prospect for a small SAF production plant, as demand for such fuel will only increase in the next few years. At the same time, we need to find clarity on the exact model to implement this idea and work in tandem with the state, for example, to attract investment.
Kokars stressed that in order to develop the necessary regulation and seek support opportunities, it is necessary to know exactly which SAF manufacturing technology is expected to be preferred, as well as – what the scale of the project and its costs would be.
At the same time, Latvian Aviation Association board member Zigmārs Vestfāls noted that Latvian aviation companies take sustainability initiatives and green courses very seriously, as the future growth and prospects of companies Latvians will depend on them, but in order to get from the idea to the implementation of specific projects, the industry and all parties involved must commit to work constantly and right now to find specialists whose main work will be the direction of this project .
The seminar was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Transport, Latvian Aviation Association, Latvian Water Harvesting Association, Riga airport, airBaltic, Schwenk and other companies.
