Renewable diesel and SAF: Emissions
Waste fat versus palm: a fourfold difference in footprint
What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies. Emission intensity 1.40 t CO2e per t range about 0.6-0.7 (UCO, 14-16 g/MJ) to 3.2 (palm oil from open-pond mills, 73 g/MJ) excluding ILUC; California average renewable diesel 37 g/MJ (about 1.6 t/t) · indicative world average of about 32 g CO2e/MJ for a waste-heavy feedstock mix; fossil diesel comparator 94 g/MJ (about 4.1 t per t of HVO energy-equivalent), jet baseline 89 g/MJ under CORSIA (indicative) Global emissions per year 25.0 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · 1.4 t/t x about 17.5 Mt (indicative); displaces about 48 Mt CO2e of fossil diesel and jet (derived: (94-32) g/MJ x 0.77 EJ)Per t of HVO or SAF, life cycle (per MJ x 44 GJ/t); combustion CO2 is biogenic. Intensity: RED II Annex V default values (Directive (EU) 2018/2001); CARB LCFS 2022 averages (CARB board presentation Sep 2023); ICAO CORSIA default values (indicative). Global total: derived (indicative).
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Feedstock 60% Production / process 30% Movement 8% Use 2%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feedstock | about 0.8 t CO2e/t (rendering and UCO collection low; crop oils higher) | 60% | farming emissions for soy and canola, rendering energy, collection | CORSIA adds ILUC of about 24.5 g/MJ for soybean HEFA (indicative) | indicative |
| Production / process | about 0.4 t CO2e/t | 30% | grey hydrogen (about 0.035-0.04 t H2 x 9-11 t CO2 per t H2), heat and power | green or blue hydrogen and capture of process CO2 cut this | indicative |
| Movement | about 0.1 t CO2e/t | 8% | long-haul shipping of fats and fuel | indicative | |
| Use | about 0.03 t CO2e/t non-CO2 gases | 2% | combustion | non-CO2 contrail effects of aviation are not counted; SAF has fewer soot particles | indicative |
| End of life | not applicable | – | fuel is burned | not applicable | not applicable |
Other environmental impacts
Waste fat demand can pull virgin oils into fuel and encourages UCO fraud; palm-based residues raise deforestation concerns. Large hydrogen demand where it is made from gas.
Levers to cut emissions
- Green or blue hydrogen for hydrotreating
- Wider waste feedstocks: tall oil, POME oil, cover-crop oils (camelina, carinata)
- CCS on hydrogen and process CO2
- Non-lipid SAF routes (ATJ, FT, e-SAF) to break the fat ceiling
India
India's SAF footprint will depend on UCO and ATJ from ethanol; Indian Oil's co-processed SAF is certified internationally (Dec 2025). No national CI values are published.
Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.Low-carbon routes
| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCO-based HEFA SAF | about 14 g CO2e/MJ (CORSIA default, indicative) | about 2x fossil jet (IATA) | Neste, World Energy, Indian Oil Panipat (30 kt) | IATA press release No. 57, 9 Dec 2025; indicative |
| e-SAF (power-to-liquid) | near zero with renewable power and biogenic or captured CO2 (indicative) | up to 12x fossil jet (IATA) | about 0.02 Mt capacity operating or under construction (IATA, Jun 2026) | IATA Jun 2026; IATA press release No. 57, 9 Dec 2025 |