Japan steps up efforts on cooking oil in race for sustainable aviation fuel​​

Japan is intensifying its cooking-oil collection in a national push to ramp up sustainable aviation fuel. The country aims to procure about 1.7 million kilolitres of SAF in 2030, with domestic output currently just 30,000 kilolitres, or 0.3% of total jet fuel use. Roughly 300 participants are involved in the Fry to Fly program, including a Tokyo homemaker, Maki Watanabe, who donates about 40 litres per year. The initiative comes as external shocks, such as energy supply strains linked to Iran, push Japan to seek cheaper, domestically sourced feedstock. Widespread SAF adoption remains constrained by feedstock shortages and infrastructure gaps. Industry consensus frames 2030 mass production as contingent on early investment decisions. This year is pivotal for refiners, who must decide by March to enable 2030-scale output. Leaders like Eneos say that the volume of collected cooking oil will determine whether they pursue a venture with Mitsubishi Corp to produce 400,000 kilolitres of SAF after 2028. Firms such as JGC stress the need for clearer demand signals to justify expanding capacity, given the complex, costly process from feedstock collection to distillation.