SAF in Mexico: From Potential to Shared Action

In the global conversation on decarbonizing transportation, commercial aviation has been one of the most challenging industries to transform. Due to its technical characteristics, strict safety requirements, and reliance on fossil-based kerosene, this sector has lagged behind in emission reductions. In this context, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has emerged as a promising alternative that could make a real difference in transitioning air transport toward more sustainable models.

While some regions of the world are already charting clear paths toward SAF adoption, the topic in Mexico is just beginning to take shape. Although the road ahead remains long, the essential elements to build a robust national strategy are already present. The opportunity is not only environmental but also economic, technological, and territorial. The question is whether we can materialize it in time and in an articulated way.

An Evolving Context

SAF is a technically viable alternative to fossil-based aviation fuel. It can be used in commercial aircraft without major engine modifications, as long as it complies with international standards such as ASTM D7566. Its main advantage is its potential to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%, depending on the type of feedstock and conversion process used.

At the national level, a significant step was the inclusion of SAF in the new Biofuels Law published in 2025, which represents an important formal acknowledgment. However, the corresponding regulation is still pending, and it could prove crucial for defining technical criteria, evaluation methodologies, sustainability requirements, and implementation mechanisms. Such a regulation could provide clarity and certainty to potential investors, researchers, producers, and industry operators.

Additionally, one of the relevant technical elements still to be developed is the regulation of biofuel and fossil fuel blends — a responsibility previously held by the now-defunct Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE). With the creation of the National Energy Commission (CNE), it will be important to monitor how the guidelines for such formulations are defined, particularly in the case of SAF, where mixtures must meet specific international standards. Regulatory clarity on this front will be essential for ensuring SAF’s integration into the country's logistics and commercial chain.

Institutional Dialogue as a Platform for Progress

In this process, it is worth highlighting the work that has been carried out through interinstitutional working groups led by the Ministry of Energy (SENER), in collaboration with key agencies such as the Ministry of Agriculture (SADER), the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT), the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC), and SEMARNAT. These working groups have served as strategic platforms to build a common vision for SAF, identify synergies, and explore implementation frameworks aligned with Mexico's international commitments, such as CORSIA.

Strengthening these spaces, including participation from the private sector, research centers, and subnational governments, could be decisive in ensuring that decisions are evidence-based, systemic, and territorially grounded.

A Country Rich in Biomass and Territory

One of Mexico's main assets for SAF development is its abundant availability of biomass. The country has access to agricultural, forestry, and urban waste; used oils; and even potential for advanced pathways such as Power-to-Liquid, using captured CO₂ flows. However, two crops stand out for their scale, tradition, and potential for territorial integration: sugarcane and sorghum.

Mexico's sugarcane agroindustry has deep roots. With more than 800,000 hectares cultivated across at least 15 states, a consolidated production chain, and an institutional framework represented by CONADESUCA, it has undeniable strategic value. Sugarcane not only produces sugar but also bagasse, bioelectricity, and bioethanol. The latter could become a key input for SAF production through alco-chemical routes, as has already been explored in other countries.

Sorghum is also emerging as a promising energy crop with clear advantages: lower water requirements, adaptability to arid climates, high yield, and presence in regions where other crops face limitations. Utilizing it as an energy biomass could help diversify feedstocks and incorporate new territories into the national effort to produce sustainable fuels.

Building National Capacity: A Pending Task

Despite its biomass potential, Mexico currently lacks consolidated national actors in the SAF value chain. There are no pilot plants in operation, no advanced industrial projects, and no refineries specifically adapted for SAF production. At the moment, there are also no active intersectoral consortia promoting technological development in this field.

Rather than being seen as a limitation, this presents an opportunity to build capacity from the ground up, with a strategic approach. From developing projects in universities and research centers to financing schemes and open innovation between the energy and agri-industrial sectors, there is room to foster a robust domestic ecosystem. The starting point will be ensuring coordination among all levels of government, the private sector, and rural communities that could participate in biomass production.

Certification: A Gateway to International Markets

Certification is a critical component of any SAF initiative. Compliance with international sustainability standards is essential for product eligibility on international routes and for participation in mechanisms such as CORSIA, led by ICAO.

Certification schemes such as ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) and RSB (Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials), among others, ensure environmental and social traceability. However, Mexico currently lacks local entities accredited to offer these services specifically for SAF. Strengthening this technical capacity at the national level could facilitate international market access, reduce verification costs, and enhance the country’s regulatory autonomy.

Incentives and Enabling Instruments

One of the most cited challenges in the SAF conversation is the cost gap. Currently, its production can be two to five times more expensive than fossil fuel. For this reason, countries that have advanced in this area have created support mechanisms such as temporary subsidies, tax credits, blending mandates, or public procurement programs.

Mexico could consider similar tools, adapted to its economic reality, to encourage early investments. Green financing mechanisms, innovation programs, and differentiated fiscal incentives could be part of a strategy that accelerates the sector’s development without compromising budget stability.

SAF With a Territorial and Climate Justice Lens

Beyond the technical dimension, SAF development must be framed within climate justice. It is not only about producing cleaner fuels, but about doing so in a fair, transparent, and inclusive way. This means respecting rural communities’ rights, avoiding the displacement of food crops, promoting fair benefit-sharing schemes, and ensuring the active participation of small producers.

SAF could become a catalyst for transforming rural territories with low economic dynamism. But such transformation will only be sustainable if it is locally rooted, agroecologically sound, and built with a long-term perspective.

Taking Off with National Purpose

Mexico faces a unique opportunity. SAF development can connect multiple national priorities: energy transition, technological innovation, agro-industrial development, and territorial empowerment. It is one of those rare opportunities where the interests of the environmental, productive, rural, and transport sectors converge.

But this opportunity will not materialize on its own. It requires political will, interinstitutional coordination, long-term vision, and trust-building. More than accelerating for the sake of it, it is about taking off with purpose — landing commitments that rise from the fields, cross the runways, and reach the skies.