Renewable diesel and SAF: Resources and labour
Fats, lots of hydrogen and refinery-grade kit
What this tab covers The natural resources (land, water, materials, fuel or feedstock) and the labour needed to capture this energy, per unit, with the reason each is needed.Hydrotreated fuels need oils and fats, a large supply of hydrogen and refinery-grade equipment; Fischer-Tropsch needs several tonnes of dry biomass per tonne of fuel.
Natural resources
| Resource | How much | Why it is needed |
|---|---|---|
| Oil and fat feedstock | About 80% of HEFA production cost; an accelerated IEA case would need an extra 125 million tonnes of feedstock by 203015 | The fuel's carbon chains come straight from the fatty acids, so feedstock volume sets output, and fats and oils are already in high demand. |
| Hydrogen | Not quantified in the sources reviewed (no authoritative open figure found); demand rises as the jet fraction is increased1 | Hydrogen removes oxygen from the oil as water and saturates and cracks the hydrocarbon chains. |
| Solid biomass for Fischer-Tropsch | About 5.6-7.1 t of residue per t of distillate (calculated from 14-18% yield)2 | Gasification breaks the biomass into small molecules, and much of the carbon and energy is lost as CO2 and heat while rebuilding liquid fuel. |
| Capital equipment (reactors, gasifiers, hydrogen plant) | USD 4,560-5,560 per kW for gasification-FT; plants take about 5 years to build12 | High-pressure reactors, gas cleaning and catalysts must meet refinery standards. |
Labour
| Phase | How much | Skills | Why it is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feedstock supply | Most liquid biofuel jobs are in the agricultural supply chain; liquid biofuels employed about 2.76 million people worldwide in 2024 (all fuels)9 | Farming, waste-oil collection, rendering | Collecting used cooking oil and fats from many small sources is labour-intensive. |
| Plant operation | Not quantified per plant in the sources reviewed1 | Refinery operators, process and chemical engineers, hydrogen safety | HEFA units are refinery hydrotreaters working at high temperature and pressure with hydrogen. |
Sources
- Reaching Zero with Renewables: Biojet fuels IRENA, 2021
- Progress in commercialisation of biojet / SAF (van Dyk, IEA Bioenergy workshop presentation) IEA Bioenergy Task 39 (hosted by DBFZ), 2023
- Renewables 2025: Renewable transport International Energy Agency, 2025
- Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review 2025 (Table 1, 2024 employment) IRENA and International Labour Organization, 2025