Shows
The SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: SMBC - All things not the same for equity and debt financingIn 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...2025-07-1639 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: Honeywell - Evolving, acquiring and forming alliancesIn 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...2025-07-0947 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: The now annual SkyNRG and ICF SAF Market Outlook reviewThis 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...2025-07-0250 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: Jim Stonecipher - Fulcrum BioEnergy and a cautionary tale for SAF ProductionIn 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...2025-06-2546 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: Gulfstream - Getting sandy in SAF's beachheadThis 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...2025-06-1932 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance - Removing the barrier to corporate market entryThis 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...2025-06-0437 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: Avia Solutions Group - Unleasing Baltic SAF ProductionIn 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...2025-05-2845 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast with Dani Charles, Veriflux: AI as the co-pilot for complianceIn 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...2025-05-2147 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast : AfriSAF - Tapping into SAF's continental sleeping giantThis 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...2025-04-3046 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast with Robert Courts: Pulling back the curtain on UK policy developmentIn 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...2025-04-1653 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: Innovate UK Business Connect: Connecting SAF's dot to dot 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...2025-04-0948 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: Aether Fuels - Pulling SAF out of thin airConnor 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...2025-03-2651 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: EasyJet - The not-so-easy path the Net Zero 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...2025-03-1940 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: Neste - The importance of being flexible and nimbleIn 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...2025-03-1251 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast - Votion Biorefineries: Patience + Perseverance = Production 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...2025-03-0541 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: Breakthrough Energy - SAF discovery, development and deploymentThis 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...2025-02-2644 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: Universal Fuel Technologies - Pick and mix for SAF productionThis 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...2025-02-1940 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: Exolum - Throwing SAF a pipelineIn 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...2025-01-2936 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: Refuels - Aviation staying on the road to decarbonisationAfter 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...2025-01-2242 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: World Energy - Filling aviation's notice boards with (SAF) certificatesIn 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.2024-11-1342 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: Avfuel - Challenges of moving SAF from A to BJoin 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...2024-11-0654 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: Jet Zero Australia - Making SAF down under 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...2024-10-3050 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: S&P Global - Making sure the price is rightOn 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...2024-10-2337 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: OXCCU - Catalyzing change and simplifying the e-fuels equationIn 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...2024-10-0938 minThe SAF PodcastThe SAF Podcast: Repsol and Spain leading the SAF charge 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...2024-10-0351 min