France to oblige airlines to use green but expensive biofuel

France’s parliament is in the process of adopting legislation through its draft 2021 budget that will require any airliner refuelling in the country to use at least 1% renewable bio-jet fuel.

Bio-jet fuels are made from waste or vegetable or animal oils and they emit up to 80% less CO2 than fossil-based kerosene, which is currently used by airliners.

France plans to increase this obligation to 2% of all aviation fuel by 2025, 5% by 2030 and 50% by 2050.

Globally, only around 0.6% of the jet fuel used to power aircraft is sustainable biofuel, aviation news network Runway Girl states.

This is due to the fact that renewable bio-jet fuels are three to six-times more expensive than fossil fuels, depending on the technology.

A ticket on a plane travelling from Paris to New York using 1% bio-jet fuel will cost each passenger around €4 more.

Other European nations are not required to undertake the same action.

"These measures should be developed at least at European level and ideally at international level," François Ioos, vice-president of biofuels at Total France, told Le Figaro.

Norway and Sweden have also set targets to increase airliners’ use of bio-jet fuels.

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