Algeria 
Egypt 
Jordan 
Lebanon 
Libya 
Morocco 
Palestine * 
Syria * 
Tunisia Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF): How the EU’s Ambitions could be MENA’s Opportunity
As the European Union charts its course toward climate-neutral aviation, a new industrial frontier is taking shape—one where geopolitics, green innovation, and regional cooperation converge. In this context, the potential for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to transform the Mediterranean and MENA region into a strategic energy partner is no longer speculative—it’s a question of coordinated action.
📂 All keynotes https://drive.med-gem.eu/drive/s/dEzGOLaMW9mwSrKE3XCMjEnNiP8rY7
With aviation emissions poised to triple by 2050 if left unchecked, SAF is no longer a luxury but a necessity. “We need molecules now and in the future,” said Frank Wouters, Director of the MED-GEM Network, kicking off the 14 May webinar hosted jointly with the International PtX Hub. “We cannot battery our way out of this.”
Indeed, while battery innovation supports short-haul flights, long-haul aviation—the sector’s most carbon-intensive component—requires liquid fuels. SAF, produced either from bio-based waste or via synthetic pathways using green hydrogen and captured CO₂, offers the most viable alternative.
“The social cost of carbon is underestimated,” Wouters added, citing new research estimating real costs upwards of $1,300 per ton of CO₂—a figure over 16 times higher than current EU carbon credit prices. “That’s $52 trillion in costs annually if you multiply by our current 40 gigaton emission rate.”
Countries covered:
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Algeria
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Egypt
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Jordan
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Lebanon
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Libya
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Morocco
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Palestine *
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Syria *
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Tunisia
