The World Economic Forum’s Clean Skies for Tomorrow initiative, supported by the broader Mission Possible Partnership, in cooperation with knowledge partner McKinsey & Company, has undertaken this thorough investigation into power to-liquid (PtL) fuel that builds on the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) analytics report published in 2020.1 While that paper looked at a variety of SAF production pathways, this report aims to provide a more detailed account of PtL technology, the challenges and what is needed regionally and globally to scale up PtL fuel production and uptake.
It is intended to inform the decisions of governments, policy-makers, industry and investors, all of whom will be critical in seizing opportunities, overcoming challenges and taking action to scale the production and use of PtL to reach net-zero emissions goals by 2050. While the report is focused on the global aviation emissions challenge, the learnings can be applied to other sectors such as road transport, marine and chemicals, which could require similar sustainable low-carbon fuels.
The report is also designed to reflect the diversity of national contexts and varying stages of sectoral decarbonization by providing examples and analyses from across regions. It presents findings in three sections: – The case for PtL and mapping the current value chain and stakeholders – The challenges of scaling PtL, including how to overcome complex technical and infrastructure requirements – Scenarios for how the technology could be adopted in the context of other sustainable aviation fuels, including the actions a global coalition will need to take to make the promise of PtL a reality by 2050
