Camelina oil for sustainable aviation fuel production: A scenario assessment for recovering European degraded soils

The European aviation sector is currently under pressure to rapidly integrate renewable energy sources, with a particular emphasis on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which are essential for achieving short-term decarbonization targets. This study proposes an innovative supply chain producing SAF according to the REFuelEU Aviation's progressive targets for 2050, the international ICAO-CORSIA mandates and the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive for greening the transport sector. The study focuses on camelina ( Camelina sativa L. Crantz ) grown in Southern European regions on marginal land affected by severe soil degradation. In this case, according to the most recent policy requirements, “severely degraded lands” suitable for advanced biofuels production are currently defined as those under erosion with poor soil organic matter content or with high salinity. Unlike other common oilseeds, camelina can successfully grow in degraded and eroded soils making it particularly well-suited to produce low indirect land-use change (iLUC) risk feedstocks for SAF. The challenges of achieving profitable yields under marginal conditions are examined and discussed. The results show a potential of 116 thousand km 2 of available lands that can produce 3.2 Mtoe per year of SAF, corresponding to 175 % of bio-SAF mandates in 2030. The calculated carbon intensity of SAF ranges between 10.5 and −30.8 gCO 2 eq MJ −1 depending on the carbon accumulation performances achieved in the cultivated soil and green energy used in the supply chain. By combining economics and greenhouse gas emission savings, the study explores the current gaps between conventional and innovative SAF production. • Camelina sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supports the EU aviation decarbonization. • Camelina oilseeds production is modelled in EU Southern countries. • 116k km 2 land can produce 175 % of 2030 bio-SAF EU mandate. • Carbon intensity of camelina SAF ranges from 10.5 to −30.8 gCO 2 eq MJ −1 . • Comparative analysis of economics and GHG savings between renewable and fossil SAF.