The SAF Podcast

We kick off 2026 on the podcast with a great conversation with Nicolas Guillaume and Louis Lammertyn from BookBetter. 

The platform integrates sustainability costs directly into flight pricing, offering travelers 100% SAF options and alternative transport modes like trains when more sustainable. Unlike traditional airline booking systems that add SAF as an optional extra at checkout, BookBetter prioritizes transparency from the first search, using third-party registries to verify environmental claims and provide customers with detailed certificates.

The discussion delves into critical industry issues including the psychological barriers of SAF pricing, the importance of additionality in carbon reduction c...

The final episode of 2025 brings a fresh perspective as The SAF Podcast welcomes its first Academic, Alon Lidor from the National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly the National Renewable Energy Laboratory).

Alon shares his fascinating journey from aerospace engineering to sustainable aviation fuel research, including his work on solar-driven thermochemical processes at ETH Zurich and his current role at NLR. The conversation explores his groundbreaking research on chemical looping technology for syngas production, which promises to overcome traditional reverse water-gas shift reaction limitations and significantly reduce downstream separation costs in SAF production.

A highlight of...

On this week's episode of The SAF Podcast Chris Hancock, Avioxx joins Oscar to share their waste-to-fuel technology and their UK project development strategy. 

Chris begins by sharing his journey from fintech entrepreneur to cleantech innovator, explaining some of the parallels between the early days of fintech and today's nascent SAF industry.

We also dive into Avioxx's off-grid approach integrating Fischer-Tropsch reactors with solid oxide fuel cells, enabling the plant to generate its own electricity and potentially achieve an 80% reduction in electricity costs. The result aims to tackle the two hardest cost drivers in SAF—pur...

In this episode of The SAF Podcast, host Oscar Henderson sits down with Hamid, Francis and Sergio from Nexen Biosystems to explore one of the most unconventional and interesting sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) feedstocks emerging today: tequila bagasse.

With what seems like every celebrity wanting to start a tequila brand. The market over recent years has boomed, creating an abundant amount of year round feedstock.  Tequila production is tightly concentrated by denomination rules, so residues are steady, local, and available at favorable terms because they’re a disposal headache for distillers. Agave bagasse is pre-cooked and pressed dur...

In this episode of The SAF Podcast, host Oscar Henderson welcomes back Gorka Penalva, Exolum, to discuss the company’s latest milestone — the launch of its new SAF blending facility at Redcliffe Bay in the UK. Gorka shares how Exolum is transforming its legacy fuel infrastructure to support a low-carbon future and reveals the vision behind what they’re calling the “SAF Superhighway.”

Exolum is taking bold steps forward in the SAF market, moving beyond the traditional wait-and-see approach that has characterized much of the industry. As an independent storage company operating...

In this episode of The SAF Podcast, Diana Birkett Rakow, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Sustainability at Alaska Airlines and incoming CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, joins Oscar for a deep dive into how the airlines are shaping their SAF strategy and how it plays into overall emissions reductions ambitions. 

We dig into Alaska’s five-part path to net zero by 2040—operational efficiency, fleet renewal, SAF, new propulsion and airframes, and only then high-quality removals—and why the middle lever, sustainable aviation fuel, is the one that can move em...

Hot off the heels of their public announcement, Mel Courtney, Catagen is the latest guest on The SAF Podcast. 

We discuss the spinning out of Catagen ClimaHtech Green Flight, utilizing the technology honed in the 15 years of emissions testing, for their modular sustainable aviation fuel facilities through electrified reverse water gas shift Fischer-Tropsch. 

Unlike conventional centralized refineries, their modular approach produces between one and ten million liters of neat SAF annually, designed to co-locate with existing renewable energy infrastructure. This strategy unlocks untapped potential from smaller wind farms across the UK and Europe that typically go...

This week on The SAF Podcast Kata Cserep and Salem Esber, PA Consulting join Oscar to discuss the recent Cacophony to Symphony: Successfully Scaling Sustainable Aviation Fuel report. 

With nearly 600 survey participants spanning airlines, airports, fuel producers, investors, and policymakers, the report reveals critical challenges in scaling SAF—most notably fragmentation across the ecosystem, cost barriers, and policy misalignment. Kata, an aviation strategist, and Salem, an energy and finance specialist, bring complementary perspectives on how aviation and energy must converge to unlock commercial-scale SAF.

The conversation emphasizes that while no single stakeholder has solved the SAF...

This week Matti Lievonen, EcoCeres joins Oscar on The SAF Podcast. Matti shares insights from his illustrious career from the transition from traditional refining at Neste to pioneering renewable fuel production in the rapidly expanding Asian SAF market.

The conversation reveals the company's innovative approach to feedstock traceability, managing relationships with over 100,000 restaurants for used cooking oil collection, and their breakthrough "easy tracer" technology that tracks feedstock origins down to individual 30-kilogram contributions.

This startup mentality, backed by significant investment from Bain Capital, has enabled rapid expansion with facilities in China and Malaysia collectively producing...

This week on The SAF Podcast we turn both eyes and ears to Asia with the three founders of the Asian SAF Association, Fabrice Espinosa, Gabriel Ho and Dietmar Posselt. Covering 48 vastly differing countries from the Middle East across to APAC, ASAFA aim is to promote production levels to decarbonise the regions growing aviation footprint.

Rather than waiting for perfect policy frameworks, Asian countries are taking practical steps forward, setting achievable targets that create immediate momentum. This cultural pragmatism, coupled with abundant feedstock resources and growing refining capacity, positions Asia to potentially leapfrog other regions in sustainable...

Ever wondered what MI6 was evaluating after World War II that could help solve our aviation climate crisis today? The answer lies in a century-old technology that's experiencing a remarkable revival.

Peter-Paul Langerak of Gidara Energy joins us this week to take us through the evolution of High Temperature Winkler (HTW) gasification technology – from its 1920s origins through its refinement during WWII to its commercial deployment in the 1990s producing biomethanol from waste. Now owned by Gidara Energy, this technology offers a proven solution for converting municipal waste, biomass, and agricultural residues into clean syngas that can be...

In this episode of The SAF Podcast, David Lloyd from Emerging Fuel Technology joins Oscar to discuss sustainable aviation fuel production, biogas feedstocks, and the challenges of scaling renewable fuel projects. Lloyd, a former airline strategy executive turned SAF technology entrepreneur, shares his transition from Qantas to the emerging fuels sector and explains why biogas represents an untapped opportunity in sustainable aviation fuel production.

The conversation explores Fischer-Tropsch technology's century-long history, from World War Two applications to its modern applications in renewable fuel production. Lloyd argues that biogas and renewable natural gas offer significant advantages over traditional...

This week on The SAF Podcast we are joined by Greg Constantine, Co-Founder & CEO, AIRCO (Formerly Air Company). 

Originally from Australia, Greg explains the strategy behind building out technology development from revenue generating consumer products like carbon negative Vodka, hand sanitizer and perfume building towards production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. This allows for ongoing revenue generation and less reliance on raising outside investment. 

Constantine explains their technology-licensing business model, contrasting it with the capital-intensive mega-project approaches favored by many competitors in the power-to-liquid (PTL) space. This strategy allows them to avoid massive FID funding rounds wh...

In this episode of The SAF Podcast, host Oscar Henderson speaks with Gianluca Ambrosetti, CEO and co-founder of Synhelion, to explore the future of solar fuels and their role in scaling sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production. Synhelion’s pioneering thermochemical process converts CO₂ and biomass-derived carbon into renewable liquid fuels using high-temperature solar heat and thermal energy storage—delivering continuous, 24/7 production without relying on costly green hydrogen.

Gianluca shares his journey from physicist to clean-energy entrepreneur, explains the technical differences between solar fuels, e-fuels, and biofue...

In this episode of The SAF Podcast, we sit down with Martin Forman, Director at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), to explore the challenges and opportunities in financing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) projects. With a background spanning energy M&A, hydrogen, CCS, and biofuels, Martin brings a pan-European and global view on decarbonisation finance.

We discuss why Japanese institutions—particularly trading houses and banks—have become such active SAF investors, and how Japan’s domestic SAF mandates are triggering large-scale international investments. Martin explains SMBC’s strategic interest across the SAF value chain, from project lending to aircraft...

In this episode of The SAF Podcast we are joined by Richard Mathers, Senior Director of Business Development at Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions, for an in-depth exploration of Honeywell’s expanding role in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technology. 

If you follow any form of SAF news, you will have heard of Honeywell given their announcements of the ongoing $1.8bn all cash acquisition of Johnson Matthey's Catalyst Technology solutions business and the formation of the SAF Alliance alongside Johnson Matthey, Samsung Electronics E&A, GIDARA Energy. These collaborations aim to streamline project delivery, reduce capital expenditure by up to...

This week's SAF Podcast is our now annual deep dive into the global SAF Market Outlook from SkyNRG and ICF. This year we were joined by Anna Liznerova, SkyNRG and Mark Kelly, ICF. After weeks of late nights and weekends on this extra curricular project they share key insights and methodologies from the report.

The conversation kicks off with the key takeaways from the report notably, Europe's role as the backbone of SAF demand with strong mandates requiring over one million tonnes in 2025, rising to four million tonnes by 2030. Despite Europe driving demand, it represents only 18% of...

In this episode of The SAF Podcast, we are joined by Jim Stonecipher, Managing Director at EdyMac and former executive at Fulcrum BioEnergy. 

With over 30 years of chemical engineering experience, Jim offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look at Fulcrum's high-profile journey—from promise to Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company's ambitious vision to convert municipal solid waste into sustainable aviation fuel represented a promising technological pathway, but faced numerous obstacles—from COVID-related supply chain disruptions to fundamental issues with technology scale-up and integration.

The conversation explores the delicate balance between technological development and financial reality, revealing how the notor...

This week on the SAF Podcast Smitha Hariharan, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Gulfstream Aerospace, discusses how one of the leading business jet manufacturer is pioneering sustainability through a comprehensive three-pillar strategy that balances environmental responsibility with business performance, with a heavy focus on Sustainable Aviation Fuel since 2011. 

From Gulfstream's groundbreaking 2011 transatlantic flight using 50% SAF to their 2023 achievement of flying a G600 from Savannah to Farnborough with 100% SAF in both engines (a full week before Virgin Atlantic's much-publicized commercial demonstration). 

Hariharan reveals Gulfstream's comprehensive sustainability strategy built on three pillars: aircraft efficiency, operational im...

This week Andre de Fontaine, Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) joins us on The SAF Podcast. Founded in 2021, SABA has been at the forefront of driving the Book and Claim conversation and allowing corporates to purchase SAF for their operations when they cannot control what fuel they fly on. 

Andre explains how SABA has grown to include approximately 35 major companies—including BCG, Bank of America, Netflix, and Meta—that share ambitious climate targets and significant aviation footprints. Together, they've facilitated around $200 million worth of SAF certificates representing 50 million gallons of sustainable fuel. The evolution has been dramatic; what...

In this episode of The SAF Podcast, we welcome Gediminas Ziemelis, Founder and Chairman of Avia Solutions Group, to discuss the company’s move into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production through its NorSAF project. As the world’s largest wet-leasing provider, Avia Solutions Group operates across six continents and is now leveraging its extensive infrastructure to help decarbonize aviation.

Gediminas shares how the company is developing a state-of-the-art SAF and eSAF production facility in Liepāja, Latvia, strategically positioned to serve the Baltic, Nordic, and Central European regions. He reveals how acquiring an existing oil storage terminal has s...

In this episode of The SAF Podcast, we welcome back our first returning guest, Dani Charles, CEO and Co-Founder of Veriflux. Following his deep dive into U.S. policy in his first appearance, Dani returns to unpack the increasingly critical—and complex—world of feedstock traceability in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production and how AI can could be the secret to doing it accurately at scale. 

 Dani explains why relying on spreadsheets are no longer viable at scale and how best-of-breed technology is essential for managing dynamic trade flows, compliance uncertainty, and complex conversions across liquid, solid, and ga...

This week we are joined on The SAF Podcast by Kwame Bekoe, AfriSAF. With over 20 years of aviation experience spanning engineering, sales, and sustainability, Kwame shares his vision for Africa as a major player in the global SAF industry. He discusses how the continent’s vast agricultural residue—estimated at over 150 million tons annually—can be leveraged to produce SAF, fostering energy independence and economic growth.

We examine AfriSAF’s model of integrating smallholder farmers into a data-driven supply chain, using digital platforms and pilot biodigester projects to prove the value of waste-to-energy conversion. Kwame outlines how AfriSAF...

In this episode of The SAF Podcast, we go behind the curtain of UK sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) policy with former Aviation Minister and former Member of Parliament for the UK Robert Courts. 

Listeners will gain a rare glimpse into the complexities of government policymaking—from managing cross-departmental collaboration and limited civil service bandwidth to ensuring stakeholder engagement and long-term adaptability.

Courts candidly addresses industry concerns about implementation timelines, revealing the unavoidable bandwidth limitations within government and the necessity of thorough consultation. He takes us through the formation of the Jet Zero Council (now Task For...

 In this episode of The SAF Podcast, Oscar sits down with Michelle Carter, Head of Transport at Innovate UK Business Connect, to explore the current state and future trajectory of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the UK. With over a decade of experience in SAF, Michelle offers a unique lens into the evolution of the UK’s SAF ecosystem—from early-stage innovation to national mandates and public awareness. 

The conversation delves into the UK's position in the global SAF market, revealing that the country attracts just over 1% of global SAF investment, with a surprising 29% focused on power-to-liquid techno...

Connor Madigan, founder of Aether Fuels, joins Oscar on this week's episode of The SAF Podcast.  Madigan shares his journey from founding a successful OLED manufacturing equipment company to pioneering a transformative approach to SAF technology through Aether's Aurora solution. 

At the heart of our conversation is Aether Fuels'  Aurora technology, developed with GTI Energy, which reimagines the traditional Fischer-Tropsch process for sustainable fuel production. By focusing on the syngas generation and upgrading steps, their system achieves up to 50% capital cost reduction and 20% higher yields than conventional approaches. Conor expertly breaks down how their "tri-conversion" reactor and inn...

 In this episode of The SAF Podcast, host Oscar is joined by Lahiru Ranasinghe, Director of Sustainability at EasyJet, to explore the airline’s journey toward net zero. With aviation’s decarbonization at the forefront of industry discussions, Lahiru outlines EasyJet’s three-pronged strategy—Reduce, Replace, Remove—which balances efficiency improvements, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) adoption, and long-term hydrogen integration. 

 Discover how EasyJet is navigating the complex SAF landscape by strategically securing supply agreements across Europe to meet regulatory mandates while exploring voluntary market opportunities. Lahiru provides candid insights into the airline's SAF procurement s...

In this episode of The SAF Podcast, Alex Kueper, VP of Renewable Aviation at Neste, the world’s leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)joins Oscar. As the industry pushes towards net-zero emissions by 2050, Alex provides a deep dive into Neste’s expansion, the evolving market landscape, and the key challenges shaping the future of SAF. 

What began as Finland's post-WWII oil refiner evolved into a renewable energy leader that placed billion-dollar bets on sustainable fuels long before mandates or incentives existed. This wasn't profit-driven speculation – it was purposeful innovation rooted in environmental stewardship.

 The conv...

 In this episode of The SAF Podcast, we dive into the evolving world of biomass-to-liquid fuels as Oscar chats with Anders Edling Hultgren, Founder of Votion Biorefineries. With nearly two decades in biofuels, Anders shares his journey from the Swedish forestry sector to pioneering innovations in bio-oil production. 

 Hultgren shares his groundbreaking approach to converting diverse biomass feedstocks—from bark and forestry residues to agricultural waste—into high-quality bio-oils suitable for hydroprocessing. 

The discussion explores critical challenges in sustainable fuel production, including the complex process of metal removal from bio-oils to ensure catalyst longevity in refinery...

This episode of the SAF Podcast welcomes Julia Reinaud from Breakthrough Energy to discuss how sustainable aviation fuel fits into Europe's renewable energy landscape. Julia shares insights from her extensive background in climate policy and energy innovation, explaining Breakthrough Energy's mission, since its founding in 2015 on the back of the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, to accelerate the clean energy transition through its network of investment vehicles, policy efforts, and philanthropic initiatives.

The conversation explores the critical challenges facing the SAF industry, particularly for e-SAF (synthetic fuels) development in Europe. Julia highlights Project SkyPower, an initiative...

This week Oscar speaks with Alexei Beltyukov, Universal Fuel Technologies, a former medical doctor turned energy entrepreneur, who is now working on scaling the availability of sustainable aviation fuel. 

 Unifuel’s innovative Flexiforming process allows existing petroleum infrastructure—hydrotreaters and reformers—to be repurposed for SAF production, slashing capital expenditures by up to 75%. This drop-in solution not only reduces costs but also enhances feedstock and product flexibility, ensuring long-term economic viability for refineries transitioning to renewables.  Particularly interesting is their approach to working with traditional HEFA and Fischer-Tropsch processes, offering solutions to convert their by...

In the second episode of The SAF Podcast, we delve into the critical yet often overlooked logistics and supply chain challenges facing the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry with Gorka Penalva from Exolum, a leading pipeline and storage infrastructure company. 

With nearly 90 years of experience in hydrocarbon logistics and over 6,000 kilometers of pipeline across Spain and the UK, Exolum brings unique expertise to the SAF transportation discussion.

Gorka highlights the urgent need for investment in import logistics and blending infrastructure, particularly as SAF production projects aren't expected to come online until the 2030s and beyond. H...

After a potentially too long break to end 2024. The SAF Podcast is back in 2025, a year set to have significant importance for the burgeoning SAF industry.

For our first episode Oscar sits down with Philip Fjeld from Refuels. As the UK and EU SAF mandates take effect in 2025, Fjeld shares valuable perspectives from his decade of experience in the biomethane industry and his role at the Renewable Transport Fuel Association (RTFA).

 The discussion delves into crucial market dynamics, examining how feedstock competition between SAF and biodiesel production could impact both sectors. Fjeld provides expert analysis o...

In our latest episode we chat with Kathy Wight, Vice President for Net Zero Solutions at World Energy, and how they are leading the charge in decarbonizing business travel and freight.

Kathy takes us from her roots in the NGO sphere to her pivotal role in driving practical sustainability solutions, sharing insights from her experience with the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and the innovative strides in sustainable fuels like SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) and renewable diesel. We find out why she transitioned to the business side to actively work on developing practical solutions to decarbonise aviation.
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Join us this week on The SAF Podcast, as we dive deep into the logistics and distribution challenges of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with CR Sincock from Avfuel, one of the largest global aviation fuel suppliers. As a leading distributor of SAF in business aviation, Avfuel offers unique insights into scaling SAF delivery across the United States.

In this episode, Sincock discusses Avfuel's strategic partnership with Neste, the world's largest SAF producer, and reveals their exciting new role as a launch customer for Valero Diamond Green in Florida. This expansion marks a significant step in addressing the...

 In this episode of The SAF Podcast, we dive deep into Australia's emerging sustainable aviation fuel landscape with Mac Irvine, CFO of Jet Zero Australia. With 15 years of banking and finance expertise, including his role at the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), Irvine offers unique insights into Australia's SAF development landscape.

 The discussion explores Jet Zero Australia's two flagship projects: Project Ulysses, an alcohol-to-jet facility in Townsville utilizing LanzaJet technology, and Project Mandala, a HEFA pathway development in partnership with Apeiron Bioenergy.

Our conversation moves into the strategic alliances that fuel Jet Zero's mission, including a...

On this week’s episode of the SAF Podcast Sophie Byron, Global Head Biofuels Pricing, S&P Global Commodity Insights joins Oscar for a discussion around SAF pricing.

Tracking SAF prices is not as simple as traditional jet fuel. In a nascent market with complex supply chain and production pathways, getting accurate pricing data is no easy feat. Sophie explains this complexity and the challenge addressing issues across fluctuating feedstock pricing, production costs and limited transactions on the spot market and how they work around these to assess accurate prices. Another critical issue is how to approach pr...

In this episode of the SAF Podcast, Andrew Symes, Founder & CEO, OXCCU joins Oscar to dive into the cutting-edge world of e-fuels. A chemistry graduate turned venture capitalist who transitioned to leading a pioneering carbon capture utilization company, Symes discusses OXCCU's groundbreaking catalyst technology that simplifies the conversion of CO2 and hydrogen directly into hydrocarbons.

The conversation explores OXCCU's recent milestone: their OX1 demonstration plant, which marks a crucial step in de-risking their innovative single-step conversion process. Symes details how their technology could significantly reduce the CAPEX and OPEX of e-fuel production, potentially solving the cost barrier...

 The Iberian Peninsula's emergence as a SAF production hub isn't coincidental. The region boasts abundant feedstock availability, strong agricultural and livestock sectors, ample renewable energy resources, and a robust refining and petrochemical industry. This combination of factors, along with existing market demand, has created an ideal environment for renewable fuel production. 

Berta Cabello and Carlos Suarez join us on the podcast from Repsol this week. These industry leaders provide a deep dive into Repsol's ambitious renewable fuel initiatives, including their refinery in Cartagena and the e-fuel plant planned in Bilbao. This episode offers a glimpse at why Sp...

In this episode of the SAF Podcast, Oscar dives deep into the world of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and broader decarbonization efforts with Dan Kreibich, co-founder of Squake. Dan shares his journey from Lufthansa Innovation Hub, where he pioneered SAF offerings for passengers, to founding Squake, a platform making SAF and other compensation projects accessible in booking flows.

Squake's innovative approach enables airlines, travel companies, and corporations to integrate SAF purchases seamlessly, from ancillaries to bulk orders. Dan discusses partnerships with industry giants like Lufthansa, Airbnb, and CWT, highlighting the growing demand for sustainable travel options.

 In this episode of The SAF Podcast, we sit down with Roberto Gonzalez from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to explore the complexities of financing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) projects.

Roberto takes us through his personal journey from chemical engineering and oil refining to his pivotal role in the EBRD's energy transition team. We discuss EBRD's ambitious goals of achieving over 50% green investments and ensuring alignment with the Paris Agreement, while also exploring the unique challenges and opportunities in making SAF projects attractive to investors.

Roberto offers unique insights into the bankability o...

In this episode, Oscar had the pleasure of speaking with Binyam Raja, Global Practice Manager for Transport, World Bank.

The conversation focused on a crucial aspect of the SAF industry: promoting production in non-OECD countries and expanding the global network of SAF production. Binyam shared valuable insights on the World Bank's efforts to support developing economies in participating in the SAF value chain, highlighting the economic and environmental benefits this could bring.

We explored several key topics, including:

In this episode of the SAF Podcast, Oscar chats with Frank Schreurs, co-founder of GAFT, about the innovative approaches his company is taking to revolutionize sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Joining us from his holiday in Sweden, Frank provides a detailed look into GAFT's mission and the challenges the aviation fuel industry faces.

Frank's career spans over two decades in the energy sector, including significant experience in oil trading, M&A, and biodiesel production. This rich background set the stage for his entrepreneurial journey into sustainable fuels. GAFT, originally a CO2 utilization company, evolved into a pioneering firm...

On this week's episode Mukund Karanjikar, CEO, CleanJoule joins Oscar on The SAF Podcast to discuss their approach to accessing biomass to create sustainable aviation fuel.

Listen in to hear Mukund's thoughts on the debate around the availability of waste biomass as a feedstock to accommodate demand levels and the importance of Carbon Intensity (CI) scores. We also look at the role that government grants have had in helping CleanJoule get to their current stage, since their founding in 2009. Mukund highlights how critical these grants are, highlighting the example of Tesla and other start ups that rely...

This week on the SAF Podcast,  SAF Investor Editor Fayaz Hussain has a conversation with Sven Rieve, Airbp's sustainability advisor. Rieve dives deep into Airbp's strategy for conquering the skies with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

We explore their current production footprint, the diverse feedstocks used, and the markets they're targeting.

The discussion takes off with Airbp's commitment to increasing SAF production capacity in key regions like Europe, the UK, and the US. Rieve sheds light on Airbp's preference for co-processing as a production method and explains why they're keeping a watchful eye on emerging pathways f...

This week on The SAF Podcast, Jonathan Yeo, CEO, FlyORO joins Oscar to discuss the operational and supply chain logistic challenges that SAF presents.

One of SAF's many benefits is its drop in nature, and ability to work within existing infrastructure. However, currently it still needs to be blended with kerosene. This is not as simple as someone mixing the two together with a large whisk. As Jonathan explains, the precision required to blend SAF and Kerosene to meet certification standards is significant and the requirement to blend according to market demand requires flexibility not currently found...

Join us in this week's episode of The SAF Podcast as we welcome back SkyNRG as Tom Berg unpacks their latest Market Outlook report.

Tom shares the reason why they produce these reports, the meticulous methodology behind their report, which filtered 350 renewable fuel facilities down to 210. We dive into the major themes that appear from the report: Global policy developments and how important it is they develop into regulatory frameworks and the implication on global production opportunities, the competition for feedstock for Used Cooking Oil (UCO) and Renewable Diesel producers and whether delays in expected ramp ups...

This week, we sit down with Dani Charles, Veriflux, who talks through his fascinating journey from government tech to co-founding a pioneering company in the renewable feedstock industry. Dani reveals how Veriflux, since its inception in 2020, has grown to support over 350 companies worldwide by revolutionizing the tracking of used cooking oil and other feedstocks. His insights underscore the critical importance of accurate record-keeping for regulatory compliance and market differentiation, especially in distinguishing renewable fuels like Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

Ever wondered how US environmental policies and incentives come to life...

What if getting your tyres replaced on your car not only protected you on the road, but also helped save the planet? Currently 50 million end of life tyres are generated annually in the UK and 80% of them are exported to the EU to be burnt. What if a sustainable solution could help dispose of them but also not need for them to be exported overseas.

This week Vianney Vales, Wastefront joins Oscar on The SAF Podcast as we uncover the revolutionary process of transforming end-of-life tires into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Vianney, with his extensive background in...

This week Maurits van Tol, CEO Catalyst Technologies, Johnson Matthey joins Oscar on The SAF Podcast.

Hot on the heels of the announcement that their FT Cans technology, developed with bp. will be used for DG Fuels' $4bn St John's Parish, Louisiana facility. Billed as being the largest Fischer Tropsch facility in the world with a capacity of 300,000 metric tonnes per year.

We discuss the development of the CANS technology alongside bp, where it fits in in the process and the challenges of working on a project of this scale. We touch on whether the...

This week The SAF Podcast ventures to the land of salsa dancing, ethanol production, rainforests and the Andes as Oscar is delighted to be joined to Jose Fernandes, President - Latin America, Honeywell.

Jose explains to us the different verticals Honeywell operates in, especially Honeywell UOP and their SAF technology licensing business, and how they are working to their target of reaching net zero operations by 2035. We discuss the projects they are currently involved in in the Latin America region alongside biofuel producer and Oil and Gas giant, Petrobras.

We also dive into what makes...

On this week's episode you get not one, but two Oscars as Oskar Meijerink, SkyNRG  to discuss the transition from procurement to production with Oscar on The SAF Podcast.

Oskar has been with SkyNRG since he left university where he wrote a dissertation on project finance for Sustainable Aviation Fuels. He has since been working on the project side, being kept busy with a HEFA project being developed in Delfzijl, Biomass Fischer-Tropsch facility in the Pacific northwest and their eSAF facility under development in Amsterdam.

Oskar shares the progress of each location, why they are w...

This week Mihir Dange from XCF Global Capital and Wray Thorn from Focus Impact Partners join Oscar on The SAF Podcast to discuss their recent merger and expecting public offering later this year.

 Mihir's storied past, shaping programmes for yellow taxi medallion drivers to his latest venture into sustainable aviation fuel with XCF, intersects with Wray's fervent support for socially progressive companies through Focus Impact Partners. 

The discussion meanders from how Mihir and Wray first connected to what their daily working relationship look like now as they work towards listing later in the year. We al...

This week on The SAF Podcast, Gaynor Hartnell and Tom Reid from the Renewable Transport Fuel Association (RTFA) discuss the UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel policy landscape with Oscar Henderson. They bring to the table a wealth of knowledge, leading us through the intricate world of renewable fuel revenue certainty mechanisms. With imminent announcement on the UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate, these two experts dissect how these policies are critical to fuel supply and market dynamics.

We dive into how revenue certainty mechanisms work, the importance of providing stability...

On this week's episode of The SAF Podcast, we are going to share a full discussion that occurred at SAF Investor London looking into "Finding Project Finance". Al Whyte, moderated a panel including; Wray Thorn, Focus Impact Partners, Andrew Eckhardt, Cranmore Partners, James Falzon, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Martin Forman, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Kevin Bogenreif, Summit Next Gen, all share their thoughts on the challenges of financing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) projects. 

Our experts delve into the critical aspects of price discovery, feedstock costs, and the necessity for robust commercial structures. With technology a...

This week on The SAF Podcast, Oscar is delighted to be joined by Oliver Booth from Sightline Climate. The conversation reveals the layers of complexity in defining climate tech and exploring the nature of the climate capital stack, and how it relates to Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

The episode begins with Oliver giving a great summary of the findings of their 2023 end of year report for private investments and what this means for SAF producers trying to find investment. As the discussion continues , we draw critical connections between the past clean tech boom and today's investor discernment, which...

In this episode the SAF Investor team of Alasdair Whyte, Fayaz Hussain and Oscar Henderson give you a quick round up and review of last week's first SAF Investor London conference.

A diverse gathering of producers, investors, customers and many other companies integral to the industry's development gathered to discuss the major issues the industry faces in scaling production.

We discuss our highlight moments from the conference, key takeaways that we have, our favourite discussions as well as what surprised us. This is a great snapshot of what happened over the two days as the...

This episode Oscar sits down with Wendy Owens of Hexas Biomass. Wendy, a trailblazer with a captivating career journey, unveils the potential of Xanograss and the Xanofiber it creates which can be used for sustainable construction and as a biofuel feedstock. Her insights offer a flight path into how non-food, second-generation bioenergy crops could revolutionise the SAF supply chain and fulfill the soaring global energy demands.

Wendy articulates the significance of maximising every part of the Xanograss to enhance cost efficiency in SAF production, exploring Wendy's mantra of 'using the whole buffalo' in biomass optimisation. Our conversation...

With SAF being the only current solution to decarbonising air travel on existing aircraft, should the owners of around half the global fleet, the aircraft lessors, be putting more skin in the game?

This is a large component to this week's episode where Al spoke to Natasha Mann, CEO, Future Energy Global.

Natasha launched Future Energy Global in early 2024, but she has a long history in the aviation after experience with Fairchild Dornier and Airbus as well as her time in aircraft leasing at GECAS.

Now Natasha is focusing on the Sustainable Aviation...

This latest episode of The SAF Podcast Oscar is joined by Nicole Sautter, Director of Global Sustainability, American Express Global Business Travel (AMEX GBT).

Corporate customers have a strong role to play in signalling ongoing demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuel. We discuss why AMEX GBT got involved in SAF. They have also been integral in setting up the blockchain backed book and claim system, Avelia, to help both grow the access to SAF and ensure it is sourced and claimed accurately. This has been set up alongside investment into United Airline Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund to help...

This week Al sat down with Austin Willis, CEO, Willis Lease Finance Corporation to discuss their diversification into Sustainable Aviation Fuel production. The conversation unpacks the transformative journey of Willis Lease, from its roots leasing engines to a broad-spectrum powerhouse, and shines a spotlight on their pioneering endeavour to produce sustainable aviation fuel in Teesside, UK. With a blueprint for a greener horizon, Willis Lease is charting a course for 2026, aiming to power the skies with synthetic fuels.

This episode is  a realistic look at the hurdles and headwinds the aviation industry faces as we transition into s...

 On this episode of The SAF Podcast we shake the format up as Al is joined by Mukul Hariharan, United Airlines Ventures and Robert Birdsey, Green Front Energy. If you've ever pondered the financial gears that turn behind the scenes of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) projects, look no further.

Tackling the intricacies of renewable fuel supply chains and the hurdles of scaling up from small-scale to large-scale projects, our guests offer a pragmatic lens through which to view the renewable energy sector. They share the need for strategic planning and flexibility to cater to diverse markets, and t...

Welcome to 2024 and we are beginning the year by taking a look back at the big developments and news from 2023 with the SAF Investor team: Al Whyte, Oscar Henderson and Fayaz Hussain.

We discuss our favourite news items from the past year like United Airline's appointment of Oscar the Grouch as Chief Trash Officer, the policy announcement from Europe with ReFuelEU and the transatlantic flights by Virgin Atlantic and Gulfstream. We also look back at some of our disappointments form the last year and highlight that although there is so much positive news coming out of the...

The latest episode of The SAF Podcast is this week with, Jim Lockheed, Investment Principal, JetBlue Ventures. Jim gives us an insider's perspective on the intersection of aerospace, entrepreneurship, and venture capital. From his time in the Air Force to his stint at Boeing and his foray into the world of drones, Jim's unique journey is one you wouldn't want to miss. Plus, he shares his optimism about the future of drones and VTOLs, and reveals how JetBlue Ventures scouts for groundbreaking technologies and startups in the aviation sector.

Ever wondered about the hurdles and opportunities that...

 On this week's episode of The SAF Podcast  we chat with James Hygate, CEO of Firefly Green Fuels. James unveils the fascinating world of hydrothermal liquefaction technology and how it can transform sewage into bio crude and biochar, opening the gateway to a new era of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.

As we navigate through the conversation, James sheds light on his background in Biofuels, including making his own refinery in his house when he was younger, Firefly's  business model that involves converting sewage sludge currently provided by  three  water utility facilities into bio crude. He also provi...

On the latest episode of The SAF Podcast, our editor Fayaz chats with Daniel Bloch, a SAF specialist from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Daniel is here to connect the dots between the crucial role of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in achieving these targets and how his role at IATA aligns with the ambitious net-zero 2050 aspirations. In a world where the climate crisis needs immediate attention, understanding the regulatory landscape and the progress towards net-zero targets is paramount. Daniel walks us through the complexities of these long-term goals, highlighting the importance of distilling them into manageable...

Who knew that a career in retail could lead you to combatting climate change? We're joined by Andreea Moyes, Global Head of Sustainability at Air bp, who shares how she's now spearheading the charge towards sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Listen in as she shares the industry's perspective on Co-Processing, eFuels, power to liquid technology, why Air bp has not signed any offtake agreements yet and how important strategic partnerships and policy clarity are in scaling up SAF.

Are we ready for a cleaner, greener future of aviation? Andrea gives us an insight into the complexities of SAF...

This week we pivot back to the airline and customer side of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) with Jonathan Pardoe, Fuel Specialist with Star Alliance, the oldest global airline alliance starting back in 1997. Jonathan has a wealth of experience and knowledge about the fuelling challenges for airlines.

Topics discussed include:

00.48 - Background and how SAF adoption affects airline operations
06.25 - What can airlines do to mitigate the supply and demand imbalance to meet 2030 emissions targets.
10.42 - The biggest challenges for airlines accessing SAF
15.33 - the steps to narrowing the Jet A1 and...

The SAF Podcast had the pleasure of speaking to one of the 'Grandfathers' of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel industry, the president and CEO of World Energy, Gene Gebolys.

World Energy was the world's first producer of SAF and has been leading the industry in the renewable fuel space for 25 years. It has set the ambitious challenge of producing 1 billion gallons of SAF by 2050.

Al and Gene have a fantastic discussion from the origins of World Energy to the importance of the book and claim system to truly unleash the economic power of SAF. Gene highlights...

The SAF Podcast turns back to producers this week with Steven Fance , CEO and CTO, Cultiv8 Hemp Solutions, who has a great conversation with SAF Investor editor, Fayaz Hussain. Hemp is already being used across various industries from textile, construction and the automotive industry and have a great potential to play a key role in global decarbonisation efforts. 

Culti8 Hemp Solutions are using it as a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) feedstock and for Direct Air Capture (DAC) as Hemp bricks. They currently have a small scale project in Lake Charles, Louisiana and are confident that Hemp is a...

In our latest episode of The SAF Podcast Al sits down with Jonathon Counsell, group head of sustainability, International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and Aer Lingus. Jonathon is one of the longest serving airline sustainability heads globally and he shares his thoughts on the role airlines play in signalling demand to investors and how he is firm in the belief that everything (pathways and feedstocks) is needed to meet SAF demand. 

Some of the topics discussed are: 

1:03 How Jonathon ended up at IAG

5:24 Sustainability was a lo...

This weeks The SAF Podcast episode sees Al sit down with Pablo Fexer, Managing Director, 360 Jet Fuel.

Pablo has a really interesting background, first encountering Sustainable Aviation Fuel during his time at OMV. Now at 360 Jet Fuel he advises business jet operators and airlines on SAF, including a couple of airline equity investments. Pablo discusses many critical issues including:

1.20 - Background to 360 Jet Fuel
5.50 - What do offtake agreements look like?
11.20 - Will there be a cost of carbon?
15.20 - Why do some producers give 100% of a project's production to one airline?<...

Sarah Ellerby, CEO, Nova Pangaea Technologies (NPT) is the latest guest to sit down with Al on The SAF Podcast.

Nova Pangaea Technologies are a UK based company looking whose patented REFNOVA technology can create fantastic added value to almost all waste plant biomass, including the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).  Currently, Nova Pangaea Technologies is currently most notably working on project Speedbird, in the UK, with British Airways and Alcohol-to-Jet refinery technology company, Lanzajet, which is scheduled to come online in 2026. British Airway's parent company, International Airline Group (IAG) also invested in NPT in June 2023. Duration: 00:42:25

In our latest episode of the SAF Podcast Alasdair has a brilliant discussion with John Hannon, COO, Vertimass.

Vertimass are a US based biofuel company that produces Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from ethanol using their Vertimass Catalyst Technology. This process does not require external Hydrogen and can produce SAF with low capital costs and operating costs. They also can co-locate their facilities with existing ethanol production facilities, which can further reduce production costs.

John discusses the benefits of Vertimass technology in efficiently producing SAF, the importance of techno-economic analyses to the scalability of technology to...

The latest episode of the The SAF Podcast had Jean Paquin, CEO, SAF+ have a passionate discussion with Alasdair about the potential of e-fuels for sustainable aviation.

SAF+ is a Montreal based Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) producer using the Power-to-Liquid process to synthesise SAF from CO2 and hydrogen. SAF+ is part of the The Skies the Limit Challenge started by the Canadian government to set up a pilot plant the demonstrate the production of SAF. Montreal is a great place for an e-SAF facility due to the large availability of hydro-electric renewable power that can be utilised...

In the latest episode of the SAF Podcast Alasdair sits down with Jimmy Samartzis, CEO, LanzaJet. LanzaJet was spun out of LanzaTech in 2020 and are the industry leaders when it comes to Alcohol-to-Jet Sustainable Aviation Fuel production pathway. With their Freedom Pines facility in Georgia scheduled for commercial production later in 2023 and other projects in New Zealand, Australia, India and the UK (Project Speedbird and Project Dragon) currently being explored.

Jimmy discusses their Freedom Pines facility and how it is running on schedule and budget (a remarkable feat considering the recent level of inflation), the importance of...

Matteo Mirolo, Aviation Policy Manager, Transport & Environment was the most recent guest on The SAF Podcast. T&E are a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) based in Brussels that stretches across Europe,  working to make all transport across the continent more sustainable.

Matteo's main focus is on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), mainly, e-fuels and mitigating the non-CO2 effects of flying. In this podcast Matteo discusses the potential issues of the darker underbelly of the SAF industry with used cooking oil fraud, something that Matteo says occurs on a daily basis. He also highlights the pitfalls of what he calls...

For the latest episode of The SAF Podcast, Al sat down with Chris Brown, Partner, Aviation Strategy & Global Chair, Future of Flight, KPMG.

Chris has over 15 years' worth of experience across growth and decarbonisation strategies in aviation. What makes Chris a really interesting guest is that he is gives one of the more sceptical perspectives on whether Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) supply will be at a sufficient scale to meet 2050 targets.

Chris and Al discuss a variety of topics including some of KPMG's forecasts, why he is most bullish on power-to-liquid and eSAF as opposed...

This week, The SAF Podcast, had the pleasure of speaking to John May, Managing Director, Hamilton Clark.

John is one of, if not the, leading project financier for SAF projects in the world having worked with industry leaders such as: Fulcrum BioEnergy, Gevo, LanzaJet and Fulcrum BioEnergy, among many others. John is also known for popularising Technology Risk Insurance in SAF project finance, which led to him being the first banker to receive the CAAFI award in 2019. He is the Magellan of SAF Project Finance!

Al and John discuss the challenges in finding the right...

In our latest episode Alasdair sits down with a biofuel podcasting rockstar in Sylvain Verdier, Senior Marketing Manager, Corporate Strategy, Topsoe. Topsoe is a chemical technology company with a long history focusing in producing clean transportation fuels.

Topsoe has entered into technology partnerships across the globe with HIF Global, Phillips 66, SkyNRG, SGP BioEnergy, Global Clean Energy, Brasil Biofuels and Nacero. They have also entered into a joint venture with Sasol to begin refining Sustainable Aviation Fuel themselves, which Sylvain discusses in this episode.

Sylvain and Al also discuss a wide range of issues including Lego...

In our latest episode Alasdair has a discussion with Kennedy Ricci, President 4AIR. Founded in late 2020 after the Covid Pandemic, 4AIR aims to simplify meeting aviation sustainability regulations with offerings varying from volunteer programs, regulatory compliance offerings and the SAF Inventory management and has a strong focus in the business aviation market.

Kennedy and Al talk about the importance of traceability and transparency of feedstock sources and production, how offsets and SAF need to create a full sustainability picture as well as how SAF works alongside the development of electric and hydrogen aircraft.

For more...

This week Alasdair sits down with Patrick Edmond, Managing Director, Altair Advisory, to discuss why Ireland ticks all the boxes to be a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) hub.  Altair consults across the aviation sector on matters of airline strategy and sustainability.

Patrick and Al discuss what is holding back large scale production ramp up, SAF production, what investors want to see to mitigate investment risk, the importance of clear regulations and tells us which pathway he would choose to invest in.

For more visit: www.safinvestor.com/

If you would like to f...

This week Alasdair sits down with Tim Obitts, Acting CEO and Chief Legal Officer, Alder Fuels on their plan to make Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from wood waste and other biomass.  Alder's investors include Honeywell UOP, United Airlines Ventures, Directional Aviation and Avfuel among others.

Tim and Al discuss regulatory issues, the economics of SAF, the role that Big Oil has to play and the million dollar question of capital requirements.

For more on SAF visit: www.safinvestor.com

If you would like to find out more about Alder Fuels visit https://w...