SINGAPORE, Nov. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asia Sustainable Aviation Fuel Association (ASAFA) officially launches today in Singapore, with the goal of accelerating the adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) across Asia. Supported by pioneer members like Korean Air, 1PointFive, DHL Group, Bureau Veritas, Marquis Energy Global, EU-ASEAN Business Council, SkyNRG, PT. Green Energi Utama and Quantum Commodity Intelligence. ASAFA aims to harmonize policies, enhance market frameworks, and boost public awareness of SAF in key regions, including Southeast Asia, South Korea, Japan, India, and China. Pioneer partners include Sustainable Aviation Futures, Korea - Europe & You and General Index.

Mr Fabrice Espinosa, CEO of Asia Sustainable Aviation Fuel Association (ASAFA), speaking at its official launch in Singapore, which drew a crowd of about 200 people. Photo: Edwin Koo for ASAFA

Mr Fabrice Espinosa, CEO of Asia Sustainable Aviation Fuel Association (ASAFA), speaking at its official launch in Singapore, which drew a crowd of about 200 people. Photo: Edwin Koo for ASAFA

(L-R) Founders of Asia Sustainable Aviation Fuel Association (ASAFA) Mr Gabriel Ho, Dr. Dietmar Posselt, Ms Teo Hui Ling and Mr Fabrice Espinosa, pose for a group photo at its official launch in Singapore, which drew a crowd of about 200 people. Photo: Edwin Koo for ASAFA

Get the latest news
delivered to your inbox
Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters
By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

(L-R) Founders of Asia Sustainable Aviation Fuel Association (ASAFA) Mr Gabriel Ho, Dr. Dietmar Posselt, Ms Teo Hui Ling and Mr Fabrice Espinosa, pose for a group photo at its official launch in Singapore, which drew a crowd of about 200 people. Photo: Edwin Koo for ASAFA

"We are placing Asia at the heart of our efforts by driving policies that resolve market inefficiencies, attract investments, and establish SAF as a viable decarbonization option for the aviation industry, making Asia a leader in SAF for net-zero aviation," said ASAFA CEO Fabrice Espinosa.

ASAFA's mission is to build a collaborative ecosystem addressing the SAF value chain's core challenges by uniting feedstock providers, technology licensors, fuel aggregators, biofuel producers, airlines, investors and policy-makers. The association will host monthly webinars, in-person workshops, closed-door dialogues, technical field trips, and produce industry white papers to advance SAF in Asia.

ASAFA has also announced an MoU with A*STAR. This partnership connect members with A*STAR's Research Institutes, enabling pathways for piloting and implementing advanced SAF technologies. The collaboration also involves business networking, Operation & Technology Road-mapping, and promoting the A*STAR Collaborative Commerce Marketplace to support local enterprise growth and strengthen Singapore's aviation innovation ecosystem.

ASAFA's engagement extends beyond policy reform to enhancing market frameworks that support SAF development. Through dynamic working groups comprising industry and government stakeholders, ASAFA will identify market gaps, align interests, and implement initiatives to boost SAF accessibility and economic feasibility across Asia.

In addition to its work on policy and market structure, ASAFA will seek to increase public understanding of SAF's impact through tailored outreach efforts, creating a well-informed support base in the broader community.

Today's launch event, attended by over 160 industry leaders and policy makers, highlights ASAFA's pivotal role as a catalyst for sustainable aviation solutions. This event marks the start of ASAFA's journey to make SAF a cornerstone of Asia's aviation, driving towards a more resilient and environmentally sustainable future in air travel across the continent.