Abstract
The aviation sector faces significant challenges in reducing greenhouse gas emissions due to its strong dependence on fossil fuels. In this context, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) represents a promising alternative. This study evaluates the environmental performance of SAF production from agro-industrial residues generated in a market square in Pereira, Colombia, using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. Two conversion pathways were analysed: Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) and the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FT) route. The assessment was conducted under a cradle-to-gate boundary following ISO 14044:2021 standards, using SimaPro® software, with a functional unit of 1 ton of SAF. The results indicate that abiotic depletion of fossil fuels dominates the environmental profile, contributing more than 93% of total impacts, while global warming potential represents a secondary contribution. Other impact categories were found to be negligible. Although the FT pathway shows higher absolute environmental impacts, it achieves a significantly higher SAF yield compared to ATJ. When normalized per functional unit, FT demonstrates a more favourable environmental performance. These findings highlight the importance of process efficiency and energy optimization to improve the sustainability of SAF production systems.
