What Makes SAF Traceable: A Guide to End-to-End Fuel Verification

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is poised to revolutionise aviation’s carbon footprint, but its impact hinges on one critical factor: traceability.

In simple terms, traceability means being able to track a batch of SAF from its origin to its final use, with verified data at every step.

This article breaks down end-to-end sustainable aviation fuel tracking, explaining what SAF traceability entails, the key checkpoints from production to certification, and why traceable data is invaluable for compliance and credibility.

By making the process transparent and achievable, fuel producers can confidently navigate SAF certification audits and build trust with regulators and buyers.

What Does SAF Traceability Mean?

At its core, SAF traceability is the ability to follow the journey of a fuel, from the feedstock used to produce it, through refining and blending, all the way to the aircraft tank, while maintaining a verified record of its sustainability attributes.

In practice, this means documenting the origin, processing, distribution, and carbon intensity of each SAF batch as it moves through the supply chain. Producers implement a chain-of-custody system that links each volume of fuel to details about how it was made and verified.

A robust traceability system creates an unbroken digital trail that proves every sustainability claim.

Why is SAF Traceability Important?

Ensuring SAF is truly sustainable is more critical today than ever. The aviation industry faces several gaps and challenges that traceability helps address:

• Supply Constraints: SAF production remains very limited. For example, IATA estimates only about 2.1 Mt of SAF by 2025 – roughly 0.7% of global jet fuel. This scarcity means SAF carries a significant price premium over conventional jet fuel (often 2–3× higher). High costs and low volumes can deter buyers and investors, creating a demand–supply gap.

• Infrastructure and Availability: Most airports lack dedicated SAF fuelling infrastructure. SAF is usually blended upstream or in limited hubs, so availability is patchy. This uneven distribution means airlines often must diversify suppliers or pay more for fuel, and small producers can’t easily access distant markets without clear logistics and documentation.

• Price Premium: Because SAF is scarce and technology is still maturing, it costs much more than fossil kerosene. Surveys find airlines willing to pay $6+ per gallon for SAF (nearly three times the ~$2.30/gal conventional fuel price. The high cost premium makes buyers sensitive to quality and authenticity of what they purchase.

• Risk of Misleading Claims (Greenwashing): With sustainability in the spotlight, there’s pressure to report SAF use, but unverified claims can backfire. Regulators are cracking down on false advertising. For example, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority ruled a “100% SAF” flight claim misleading because it omitted context. The EU is even investigating airlines for unsubstantiated carbon-offset and SAF claims. Without traceable proof, airlines or fuel suppliers could unintentionally (or deliberately) mislabel fuels, undermining market confidence.

  
  

By contrast, traceable data helps solve these problems:

• Authenticity and Compliance: A strict chain-of-custody means each SAF batch comes with verifiable documentation. This assurance is the foundation for any sustainability claim, regulators require it. By tracking feedstock source, process history and GHG data, producers can prove that their SAF legitimately qualifies under programs like CORSIA or ReFuelEU.

• Audit-readiness: When auditors or regulators review a SAF project, they look for records. A well-maintained traceability system means all key data are at hand (feedstock receipts, production logs, carbon-intensity calculations, batch certificates). For example, each batch is accompanied by a Proof of Sustainability (PoS), a certificate that it meets specific sustainability and emissions criteria.

• Market Trust and Reporting: Airlines and buyers want certainty. Traceability gives them confidence that purchased SAF truly delivers the promised GHG savings. Verified data allow airlines to report actual CO₂ reductions (rather than optimistic estimates). In this way, traceability builds trust: customers know exactly what they’re getting. For example, detailed provenance records let airlines credibly claim their emissions avoided, and reassure stakeholders they’re not victims of greenwashing.

In summary, SAF traceability closes critical gaps: it ensures legitimacy of scarce, high-value fuel, prevents fraudulent claims, and provides the transparency regulators and buyers demand.

Key Steps in SAF Traceability: From Feedstock to Certification

Keeping SAF traceable becomes manageable by breaking it into a series of checkpoints. Below are the key steps for end-to-end SAF tracking and verification, from the initial feedstock to the final certification:

1. Feedstock Origin Verification: Traceability starts at the very beginning – the feedstock. Producers must document where and how the feedstock (e.g. used cooking oil, agricultural residue, municipal waste, or another biomass) was sourced.
   
   This involves collecting evidence that the feedstock is sustainable and meets eligibility criteria. For example, if used cooking oil is the feedstock, there should be records proving it truly came from waste sources and wasn’t deliberately modified just to qualify as “waste”.
   
   Some regulations now even require point-of-origin tracking to the farm or facility that supplied the feedstock; for instance, California’s Air Resources Board has approved rules requiring detailed origin tracking and sustainability verification for biofuel feedstocks. By verifying feedstock origin, producers lay a solid foundation for the fuel’s sustainability claim.
   
   
   

2. Production Process Documentation: The next checkpoint is the conversion of that feedstock into SAF.
   
   At this stage, maintaining traceability means recording key details of the production process. Producers track how the feedstock was processed (e.g. Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, HEFA bio-refining, alcohol-to-jet, etc.), what volumes were produced, and any inputs or outputs relevant to sustainability. If the SAF is produced alongside fossil fuel (for example, co-processing in a refinery), the producer uses an accounting method (such as mass balance) to ensure only the appropriate share of the output is claimed as sustainable.
   
   All relevant data – batch numbers, dates, quantities, process conditions – should be logged. This thorough documentation of the production step ensures that when the SAF leaves the plant, it comes with a history that can be audited and verified.
   
   

   
   

3. Carbon Intensity Calculation: A unique aspect of SAF traceability is tracking the fuel’s environmental performance, especially its carbon footprint. Carbon intensity (CI) measures the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions per unit of fuel energy.
   
   After production, producers calculate the SAF’s CI by accounting for emissions from feedstock cultivation/collection, transport, refining, and any other processing stages. This step is crucial for demonstrating that the SAF achieves the required reduction in emissions compared to conventional jet fuel. Many regulatory frameworks (like the EU’s ReFuelEU mandate or ICAO’s CORSIA scheme) prescribe specific GHG emission reduction thresholds that SAF must meet to be eligible.
   
   By computing the carbon intensity for each batch, and often having that verified by an independent body, producers generate a data point that will be included in the fuel’s documentation. In essence, this is the proof of the fuel’s environmental benefit. Traceability systems will tie the CI value and its method of calculation to the specific batch, so anyone reviewing the fuel’s credentials can see the verified emissions savings.
   
   

   
   

4. Batch-Level Traceability and Documentation: Once SAF is produced (and its sustainability metrics calculated), it’s typically handled in batches or lots. Each batch of SAF must be individually traceable. In practice, this means assigning batch identifiers and creating a certificate or sustainability report for each batch.
   
   This documentation includes all the key data: feedstock type and origin, production pathway, volume, batch number, carbon intensity or emissions reduction achieved, and a reference to the sustainability certification under which it was produced.
   
   Often referred to as a Proof of Sustainability (PoS) or similar, this document travels with the fuel batch as it is transported, blended, and delivered to end users. For instance, when a batch of SAF is delivered to an airline or fuel distributor, the receiving party gets this documentation to know exactly what they’re receiving.
   
   Batch-level traceability ensures that even if SAF is blended into conventional jet fuel (a common practice), there’s a clear record of the sustainable content and its attributes. Every handoff – from producer to distributor to the airport fuel supply – should be logged so that the chain-of-custody is maintained. This way, each litre of SAF can be traced back to its source with accompanying data, providing end-to-end visibility.
   
   

   
   

5. Certification and Audit Readiness: The final checkpoint is about verification and oversight. Sustainable fuel is typically certified by recognised schemes (such as ISCC or RSB) to ensure it meets all criteria. Producers undergo audits where auditors examine the entire trail of records – feedstock purchase records, production logs, calculation spreadsheets, batch certificates, inventory and sales records.
   
   Being traceable means a producer can readily present all necessary documentation for a SAF certification audit, demonstrating compliance with the sustainability standards. Well-organised traceability data makes this process far smoother. Companies with thorough traceability practices can quickly provide the required evidence of compliance during audits, streamlining the audit process and reducing the risk of penalties or non-compliance issues.
   
   In other words, maintaining traceable records isn’t just for show, it directly supports audit readiness. When regulators or certification bodies come knocking, a producer with end-to-end traceability can prove every claim with data, ensuring they remain in good standing and their SAF is recognised as sustainable.
   
   Additionally, this transparency builds confidence with buyers: airlines and other fuel customers can trust that the SAF they purchase indeed comes with verifiable sustainability credentials.

Conclusion: Building Traceability for Success

Achieving end-to-end SAF traceability might sound complex, but it’s achievable with the right approach and tools. By focusing on the key checkpoints, from feedstock sourcing and process documentation to meticulous record-keeping and certification, fuel producers can integrate traceability into their normal operations. The result is not only compliance assurance but also a stronger reputation in a market that values transparency.

In a world increasingly on guard against greenwashing, being able to prove every sustainability claim with data is a competitive advantage.

For fuel producers looking to strengthen their traceability systems, remember that you don’t have to do it alone. Whether you are setting up digital tracking ledgers, automating carbon intensity calculations, or preparing for a stringent SAF certification audit, expert guidance can accelerate the journey.

Our team is ready to help you implement systems that make sustainable aviation fuel tracking seamless, from feedstock to flight, ensuring your SAF is verifiable, compliant, and trusted by all stakeholders. Feel free to contact us for personalised support in developing a traceability framework that empowers your fuel production to meet the highest standards of sustainability and transparency.