Vietnam Hosts First International SAF Conference to Build Policy and Market Framework

Policymakers, aviation regulators, airlines, fuel suppliers, technology providers and international organisations gathered in Hanoi for the International Conference on Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Policy Frameworks and Market Development in Asia, jointly organised by the Global Centre for Green Fuels and the Vietnam Academy of Construction Strategy and Cadres Training under Vietnam's Ministry of Construction, with support from the Asia Pacific Sustainable Aviation Centre. Vice Minister Le Anh Tuan of the Ministry of Construction opened the conference by highlighting the growing importance of SAF in supporting aviation decarbonisation and reaffirming Vietnam's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, noting that SAF development should be pursued according to a roadmap tailored to Vietnam's circumstances and balancing emissions reduction, energy security and business competitiveness. The programme featured contributions from ICAO, civil aviation authorities from across Southeast Asia and industry leaders including Vietnam Airlines, Airbus, Boeing, SAFCo, Taiyo Oil and LanzaTech, reflecting the breadth of stakeholder engagement needed to develop a functional SAF market from the ground up.

 

Vietnam's SAF Development Opportunity and Regional Context

 

The Hanoi conference arrives as countries across Asia-Pacific examine pathways to decarbonise aviation while supporting continued air transport growth in one of the world's fastest-expanding aviation markets, where passenger volumes are recovering strongly from the pandemic and new route development is creating growing fuel demand that makes the transition to SAF both commercially significant and logistically complex. Subash S., Deputy Regional Director of the ICAO Asia and Pacific Office, delivered the keynote address highlighting the role of SAF within ICAO's Long-Term Aspirational Goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions from international aviation by 2050, emphasising the importance of national SAF roadmaps, coordinated policy frameworks and collaboration across government agencies, industry and financial institutions to support deployment. For Vietnam specifically, SAF development presents opportunities that extend beyond emissions reduction into the potential establishment of a domestic SAF value chain encompassing feedstock supply, fuel production, infrastructure development and investment, positioning the country as a potential contributor to regional SAF supply as Asia-Pacific aviation demand continues to grow.

Philip Goh, Chief Executive Officer of the Asia Pacific Sustainable Aviation Centre, highlighted the importance of regional cooperation and capacity building in supporting SAF development across Asia-Pacific, noting that countries in the region possess diverse feedstock resources, policy approaches and market conditions, and that sharing experiences and lessons learned can support more informed SAF development pathways. Vietnam's agricultural economy provides potential feedstock resources including used cooking oil, agricultural residues and energy crops that could support biofuel-based SAF production pathways, while the country's growing industrial base and strategic location in regional supply chains position it as a potential hub for SAF processing and distribution infrastructure. Clarence Woo, Managing Director of the Global Centre for Green Fuels, said the transition to sustainable aviation requires coordinated action across aviation, energy, agriculture, industry and finance sectors, framing the conference as an important platform for dialogue as Vietnam explores potential pathways for SAF development.

 

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Policy Framework Development and Stakeholder Coordination

 

The conference discussions provided Vietnamese stakeholders with regional perspectives and implementation experiences across policy frameworks, certification requirements, market development, technology pathways and supply chains, contributing to ongoing assessments of SAF development opportunities and future planning efforts in the country. The development of a Vietnamese national SAF roadmap, referenced by the Vice Minister, requires coordination across multiple ministries and regulatory bodies including the Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Ministry of Industry and Trade, alongside the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam and state-owned carrier Vietnam Airlines. The conference's multi-stakeholder convening function is particularly valuable at this early policy development stage, where the technical complexity of SAF certification, the commercial challenges of achieving cost-competitive production and the regulatory requirements of blending mandates and incentive frameworks require informed input from across the value chain to design workable policy instruments.

The involvement of global aviation technology providers Airbus and Boeing alongside fuel companies and biotechnology producers like LanzaTech provides Vietnamese policymakers with exposure to the full range of SAF technology pathways available, from biofuel-based HEFA production using used cooking oil and agricultural waste through alcohol-to-jet processes to power-to-liquid electrofuels, each with different feedstock requirements, capital investment profiles and production cost trajectories. This technology pathway diversity is commercially important for Vietnam's policy design because the optimal SAF development approach for Vietnam will depend on the country's specific feedstock availability, renewable energy resources, industrial capability and financial conditions rather than on a globally standard prescription.

 

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Outlook for Vietnam SAF Market Development

 

The Hanoi conference represents an early but important step in Vietnam's engagement with the SAF policy and market development process, establishing the stakeholder dialogue and knowledge transfer mechanisms that are prerequisites for the national roadmap development that will ultimately determine the pace and scale of SAF deployment in Vietnamese aviation. Whether Vietnam can translate the policy learning from the conference into concrete regulatory frameworks, blending mandates or production incentives within a commercially relevant timeframe will depend on the political priority given to aviation decarbonisation relative to other competing policy agendas and the availability of international financial and technical support for SAF market development in emerging economies. The Global Centre for Green Fuels and Asia Pacific Sustainable Aviation Centre's convening role in the Hanoi conference provides an ongoing institutional platform for the regional capacity building and policy dialogue that can sustain Vietnam's SAF development process beyond a single conference.

The convergence of Vietnam's net-zero 2050 commitment, ICAO's Long-Term Aspirational Goal for aviation, growing pressure from international airlines and corporate travellers for lower-carbon flight options and the potential commercial opportunity of establishing SAF production capacity for regional supply creates a favourable environment for progressive policy development. Sustained engagement between Vietnamese government agencies, aviation stakeholders and international SAF expertise partners following the Hanoi conference would position Vietnam to develop a credible national SAF roadmap that balances the country's development priorities with its climate commitments and emerging regional aviation decarbonisation expectations.

 

Source: PRNewswire