Experts call for ethanol-based SAF supply chain ahead of Korea's mandatory blending regime

With South Korea preparing to introduce a mandatory blending regime requiring sustainable aviation fuel on international flights departing the country, experts are calling for the construction of a biofuel-based SAF supply chain. They argue that existing feedstocks such as used cooking oil are insufficient to scale up supply, and that ethanol-based alcohol-to-jet technology should be actively explored. ATJ converts ethanol produced from corn, sugarcane and other crops into jet fuel.

The US Embassy in Seoul, the Korea Biofuel Forum and the US Grains Council jointly hosted the 2026 Seoul Biofuel and SAF Conference on Tuesday at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul in Jongno-gu. About 250 people attended, including officials from the government, oil refiners, airlines, state research institutes and the biofuel industry.

The conference was held amid growing attention to energy security driven by instability in the Middle East. With the South Korean government preparing to introduce a 1 percent mandatory SAF blending requirement for international flights departing the country, SAF production technology, feedstock procurement and supply chain development were among the central topics on the agenda.

Kelly Stang, agricultural attaché at the US Embassy in Seoul, said in her opening remarks that biofuels have established themselves as a vital pillar of energy supply worldwide and that the United States has achieved both economic and environmental gains from them. "We hope Korea will also accelerate its policy efforts to introduce ethanol fuel and expand cooperation in the biofuel sector," she said.

Lee Byung-kwon, chairman of the Korea Biofuel Forum, said biofuels have already entered the commercialization stage in global markets. "Korea must move faster on biofuel adoption to reduce carbon emissions and strengthen energy security," he said.

Carrie Cyphers, vice president of the US Grains Council, said South Korea stands at a critical turning point in adopting sustainable fuels. "Active cooperation with the United States — which has a mature supply chain, infrastructure and stable biofuel production capacity — is essential," she said.

Experts said diversifying feedstocks is necessary to expand SAF supply. The hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids, or HEFA, pathway — which uses lipid-based feedstocks such as used cooking oil — currently dominates the SAF market, but concerns about the limits of feedstock availability have been raised consistently.

Emerson Wahlenberg, a director at S&P Global Commodity Insights, said lipid-based feedstocks such as used cooking oil, which account for the bulk of current SAF production, face supply constraints, while ethanol is regarded as a biofuel that can contribute reliably to SAF production. "ATJ-based SAF is the most realistic alternative for achieving carbon neutrality in aviation, and it can also serve as a national strategy to ensure stable fuel supply from an energy security perspective," he said.

Within the aviation industry, high prices and limited supply were cited as practical burdens. SAF is considered a key tool for cutting carbon emissions in aviation, but output remains insufficient and the sector remains heavily dependent on policy support.

Kim Ju-ho, fuel supply chain manager at the International Air Transport Association, said the current SAF market — characterized by limited output and high policy dependence — has yet to develop a competitive pricing structure. "Airlines face a double burden of high price premiums and supply shortages when purchasing SAF," he said. He added that calls are growing within the aviation industry to commercialize diverse production technologies, including ATJ using bioethanol, at an early stage to expand SAF supply and build a more mature market.

The shipping sector is also moving quickly toward low-carbon fuels. Quaim Chowdhury, a senior engineer at the American Bureau of Shipping, said decarbonizing ship fuel has become an imperative under the International Maritime Organization's carbon emission reduction policies. "The industry is moving quickly to adopt low-carbon liquid fuels such as bioethanol, and vessels powered by bioethanol have already entered commercial service," he said.

Academics presented findings suggesting that ATJ SAF derived from US corn-based ethanol can meet international standards. Farzad Taheripour, a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University, said meeting the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, or CORSIA, standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization requires a carbon intensity at least 10 percent lower than conventional petroleum-based jet fuel. "Recent assessments have confirmed that US corn-based ATJ SAF meets that threshold," he said. He added that improvements in production processes combined with carbon capture and storage and renewable energy use would further lower the carbon intensity of ethanol-based SAF and strengthen its competitiveness.

Japan's experience with biofuel adoption was also discussed. Moriyama Ryo, a researcher at Japan's Institute of Applied Energy, said Japan is pursuing the introduction of road bioethanol fuel and SAF on the grounds that electrification alone cannot achieve carbon neutrality in the transport sector. "The government is preparing to roll out E10 and E20 fuels under its policy framework, and investment and tax incentives are also being pursued to supply 10 percent of jet fuel as SAF by 2030," he said.

Speakers also stressed the urgency of a domestic industry response. Sang Byung-in, director of the Clean Energy Research Institute at Hanyang University, said international carbon regulations are directly affecting South Korea's aviation and shipping industries and that the country must move quickly to build biofuel policy and market foundations. "An integrated biofuel strategy covering road, aviation and maritime transport is needed to respond to international carbon regulations," he said.

A panel discussion moderated by Sang converged on the view that ethanol-based SAF is a realistic option for simultaneously achieving carbon reduction and energy security. Participants said that because feedstock supply constraints make it difficult to rely solely on the existing HEFA-centered production model, expanding ATJ-based production and supply chains is essential.

The conference follows a media briefing on SAF held at the same venue last Tuesday, at which experts discussed the growing role of SAF amid jet fuel supply concerns stemming from Middle East tensions and highlighted the need for bioethanol-based aviation fuel production technology.