The UK supplied 292 million litres (77.1 million gallons) of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to its aviation market between 1 January and 15 August 2026, according to the first provisional statistics published by the Department for Transport (DfT). SAF represented approximately 3.92% of total aviation fuel supplied during the period.
The data provides the first in-year indication of UK SAF deployment under the country’s SAF Mandate, although the figures remain incomplete and are subject to revision.
UK SAF supply already above 2025 full-year volume
The 292 million litres reported for the first seven-and-a-half months of 2026 compares with 333 million litres supplied during the whole of 2025, based on the latest provisional data available from the DfT.
The comparison needs to be treated cautiously because the 2026 dataset covers only part of the year, while both years’ provisional figures can subsequently change. The DfT says fuel volumes in provisional releases are cross-checked with HMRC data, but suppliers can submit information after the relevant reporting period.
The final 2025 SAF statistics are scheduled for publication in November 2026, while the complete 2026 dataset is due in November 2027.
No power-to-liquid SAF recorded in first 2026 release
The DfT’s first 2026 dataset records all of the SAF supplied during the reporting period as regular SAF, with no power-to-liquid (PtL) SAF recorded.
This distinction is significant for the development of the UK’s SAF market. The current mandate has separate provisions for conventional SAF supply and PtL fuels. The PtL obligation is scheduled to begin in 2028, initially at 0.2% of total UK jet fuel demand, before rising to 3.5% by 2040.
For 2026, the main SAF obligation is 3.6% of total fuel, according to the DfT’s compliance guidance. The PtL obligation does not apply until 2028.
The 3.92% share recorded in the provisional data is therefore above the headline 3.6% main obligation rate, although the provisional supply percentage should not by itself be treated as a final assessment of supplier compliance. The mandate operates through a certificate-based system and includes specific compliance calculations and sustainability requirements.
UK SAF mandate is moving into a higher-volume phase
The SAF Mandate came into force at the beginning of 2025 and is designed to establish a progressively larger market for lower-carbon aviation fuels.
The mandate began with a 2% SAF requirement in 2025 and is scheduled to rise to 10% in 2030 and 22% in 2040. Suppliers receive SAF certificates based partly on the greenhouse-gas savings associated with qualifying fuels.
The UK framework also seeks to encourage diversification beyond established SAF pathways. The government has said the PtL obligation is intended to support fuels produced using low-carbon power, while the mandate’s wider design includes provisions affecting the contribution of hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) as alternative pathways develop.
In June 2026, the DfT also launched a call for evidence focused on future non-HEFA SAF availability and industry certainty as the HEFA cap and PtL obligation take effect.
New publication schedule provides earlier 2026 market visibility
The September release represents a change in how the UK government publishes SAF Mandate statistics.
From the 2026 obligation year, the DfT has reduced the number of provisional releases. The new schedule is intended to provide an early indication of trends during the obligation year, followed by another provisional release closer to the end of the reporting cycle and a final dataset.
The next provisional 2026 release is scheduled for April 2027, with final statistics due in November 2027.
For investors, fuel suppliers and SAF producers, the earlier data provides a useful indication of market volumes, but the DfT cautions that provisional statistics are not definitive.
Bioenergy Business Analysis
The first 2026 figures indicate that the UK SAF market is already operating at a materially higher supply volume than the country’s full-year provisional total for 2025. However, the comparison should not be interpreted as a final year-on-year growth rate because the 2026 dataset covers only 1 January to 15 August and remains incomplete.
The absence of recorded PtL supply also highlights the distinction between near-term SAF deployment and the development of emerging production pathways. Conventional SAF is currently carrying the market, while the UK’s policy framework is designed to bring PtL fuels into the mandated mix from 2028. That creates a separate development challenge around production capacity, renewable power, low-carbon hydrogen, carbon availability and project economics.
The next provisional release should provide a clearer picture of how much of the 2026 supply increase is sustained through the remainder of the obligation year.
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