Selecting Sustainable Aviation Fuel Pathways for Indonesia

Abstract

Sustainable Aviation Fuel is widely regarded as the indispensable near- to medium-term decarbonization option for commercial aviation because it can be used as a drop-in fuel in existing aircraft and fuel infrastructure. Yet the question facing Indonesia is not whether SAF matters, but which conversion pathway is most feasible for large-scale national development under Indonesian conditions. This article provides a qualitative literature review, rather than a systematic literature review, to compare SAF conversion technologies with emphasis on Indonesia’s institutional, feedstock, environmental, and market context. Using the ASTM-oriented pathway summary as the primary input for pathway recognition and blending limits, the review synthesises recent literature since 2020 and selected official policy and industry sources to compare HEFA, Fischer-Tropsch, Alcohol-to-Jet, catalytic hydrothermolysis, hydroprocessed fermented sugars, algae-related hydroprocessing, and co-processing routes. 

The analysis applies a thematic comparison across feedstock price and elasticity, market potential, feedstock availability, return on investment, maximum blending rate, technology partners, government policy, lifecycle emissions performance, and the international
aviation ecosystem. The core finding is that HEFA is the most feasible pathway for broad near-term SAF development in Indonesia, particularly when integrated with existing refinery capability and waste/residue lipid streams, but only under strict sustainability safeguards that avoid overdependence on virgin crop-based oils. ATJ emerges as the most promising mediumterm diversification route, while FT remains strategically important for long-term scale based on wider feedstock flexibility. The article concludes with a phased policy roadmap that combines near-term deployment, medium-term diversification, and long-term transition planning.