Renewable diesel and SAF: Characteristics
Why pure paraffin jet fuel is capped at half the tank
What this tab covers The physical and chemical properties that set its grade, price and uses, with the commercial grades and the standards that define them.HVO and HEFA-SPK are pure paraffins, so they contain no oxygen, sulphur or aromatics. That gives high cetane and storage stability for diesel; for jet the lack of aromatics limits blends to 50% because seals need some aromatics.
Properties that matter commercially
| Property | Value / specification | Why it matters | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cetane number | about 70-90 against about 50 for fossil diesel (indicative) | cleaner combustion; can be used neat | indicative |
| Standard | EN 15940 paraffinic diesel; ASTM D975; ASTM D7566 Annex A2 for HEFA-SPK (indicative) | allows sale as drop-in fuel | indicative |
| Blend limit (SAF) | up to 50% with fossil jet (ASTM D7566) | aromatics needed for seal swell | indicative |
| Energy content | about 44 MJ/kg (indicative) | slightly above fossil diesel per kg, lower density | indicative |
Commercial grades
- HVO100 (neat paraffinic diesel)
- HVO blends (R33, R99)
- HEFA-SPK (SAF)
- Bio-naphtha
- Bio-propane