Abstract: This study summarizes the global sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry landscape: HEFA process is mature and dominates the main market, but faces the limitations of fragmented feedstock supply and short catalyst life. FT, ATJ and PtL technologies are constrained by high energy consumption, high cost and ethical disputes over feedstock; and there are many bottlenecks in the production, application and auxiliary aspects of each technology. Focusing on the core challenges of SAF industry chain: inadequate system, technical limitations and low social acceptance. The opportunities for the development of SAF in China are proposed: accelerating the construction of carbon emission system, strengthening policy synergy, breaking through key technologies and cultivating mature market, fully utilizing advantages in resources, renewable power, capital and market of China, and constructing a trinity development path of “government guidance + technology research + market incentives” to develop the SAF industry into a new advantageous industry, and provide a new opportunity for the development of SAF. The SAF industry will be developed into a new type of advantageous industry and provide strategic support for the low-carbon transformation of aviation industry of China.

Key words: sustainable aviation fuel, full life-cycle carbon emissions, industry landscape, challenges, SAF certification, industrial chain synergy