Opportunities and challenges in feedstock sourcing for sustainable aviation fuel in China’s emerging market

Aviation is a major source of greenhouse gases emission in the world, and the invention of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a hope that this source of carbon footprint can be minimized. This article assesses the economic and environmental trade-offs of different feedstock routes in China to produce SAF considering the waste cooking oil (WCO), agricultural residues, and municipal solid waste (MSW). A cost–benefit analysis, conducted under explicit modeling assumptions including an 8% discount rate and 20-year project horizon, reveals WCO to be highly efficient in terms of conversion and large-scale emission cuts (up to 80%), but its economic viability is undermined by fluctuations in prices. The MSW and agricultural residues are more stable and cost-effective sources of alternative but need more complex conversion technologies to yield higher. The study identifies the considerable importance of the government policies, including subsidies and carbon prices, to make SAF production feasible. The research article adds new information to SAF sourcing in China, and the findings have practical suggestions on multi-feedstock strategies and technology to boost the scalability of SAF production. The future of the research should be to understand the socioeconomic effects, regional differences, and longitudinal research in order to enlighten policy and industry stakeholders of the area.