Latvia Project Aims to Cut Europe’s Reliance on Imported SAF Feedstocks

NorSAF and Nova Pangaea have launched a collaborative project in Latvia to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) feedstock from local agricultural and forestry residues. The initiative aims to cut Europe’s heavy reliance on imported feedstocks, particularly from China, which currently supplies about 61% of the region’s SAF feedstocks.

The Latvian project leverages Nova Pangaea’s technology to convert waste biomass into ethanol and biochar. The ethanol derived from this process can then be used to produce SAF through the alcohol-to-jet pathway. This approach seeks to address the current dependence on imported used cooking oil, a key feedstock for SAF production in Europe.

With the EU’s ReFuelEU Aviation requirements mandating a significant increase in SAF usage, rising from 2% in 2025 to 20% by 2035, the demand for stable and diversified feedstock sources is growing. NorSAF anticipates that utilizing local waste resources will strengthen the SAF supply chain in the Baltic region, reducing vulnerability to global supply disruptions.

According to estimates cited by the companies, Europe possesses sufficient biomass waste resources to meet its SAF production targets through 2050. This project represents a critical step toward achieving long-term sustainability goals in the aviation sector.