The SAF Podcast is the only podcast on the internet that exclusively covers sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). So if you want to find out the real issues and chal...
The SAF Podcast: Aether Fuels - Pulling SAF out of thin air
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 innovative catalysts simplify production while maximizing carbon utilisation.We also explore the evolving landscape of SAF offtake agreements, where Conor provides valuable insights into the tension between investors requiring long-term contracts and airlines traditionally accustomed to shorter fuel purchasing timeframes. His perspective on how creative deal structures are emerging to balance risk and opportunity illuminates a critical aspect of scaling sustainable fuels.Madigan also provides a nuanced perspective on strategic investor selection, highlighting the importance of partners who bring deep market understanding beyond pure capital. We also look at how this is managed against a backdrop of higher policy uncertainty and how to adapt to work with less policy certainty.If you enjoyed this episode check out our previous discussion with Mukund Karanjikar, CleanJoule: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2202964/episodes/15427620
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The 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 strategy, highlighting recent partnerships with producers like ENI in Italy and Moeve in Spain. Whilst acknowledging that airlines "can't optimize their way to zero."The conversation tackles the SAF green premium head-on - sustainable aviation fuel costs 2-7 times more than conventional jet fuel, yet EasyJet operates with razor-thin margins of just £6.10 profit per seat. This creates a fundamental tension for an airline committed to democratizing air travel. Their pragmatic solution? Focus first on securing SAF partnerships across Europe to meet regulatory mandates while exploring innovative approaches like corporate SAF certificates that allow business customers to address their Scope 3 emissions.Ranasinghe also gives a candid assessment of the "first-mover disadvantage" in long-term SAF agreements. With future production likely to become more efficient and less expensive, airlines that lock in decade-long contracts today risk putting themselves at a competitive disadvantage tomorrow. This chicken-and-egg problem requires creative solutions like Project SkyPower's proposed market intermediary to bridge the gap between producers' need for certainty and airlines' commercial realities. We also dive into EasyJet’s hydrogen ambitions, discussing Airbus' timeline delays, the impact on fleet planning, and how hydrogen-powered aircraft could revolutionize short-haul travel by 2040. Plus, we examine the financial realities of SAF adoption, carbon pricing under EU ETS, and whether passengers are willing to pay a green premium. You might have noticed a trend for Project Skypower over recent episodes and the work they are doing developing EFuel policy infrastructure, which you can find out more here: https://project-skypower.org/If you enjoyed this episode, check out our previous episode with Jonathan Pardoe, Star Alliance here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2202964/episodes/13933438
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The SAF Podcast: Neste - The importance of being flexible and nimble
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 conversation explores Neste's significant production capacity expansion in Singapore and Rotterdam, and how the company quadrupled its SAF sales between 2023-2024 despite market challenges. Neste’s partnerships with major customers such as Air Canada and DHL are another key topic, showcasing the importance of long-term agreements in driving SAF adoption. He also discusses the growing role of mandates and incentives, including the impact of RefuelEU Aviation, the evolving U.S. tax credit landscape, and how policy support will determine the industry’s trajectory. With governments, airlines, and corporate buyers navigating shifting regulations and cost structures, this episode offers essential insights for industry professionals looking to stay ahead of the SAF transition. If you enjoyed this discussion, check out our previous episode with CR Sincock, Avfuel: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2202964/episodes/16057604
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The 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 operations. Hultgren reveals his technology's remarkable ability to liquefy nearly 100% of biomass inputs, positioning Votion as a potential game-changer in the renewable fuels landscape.Key insights include the importance of energy independence, the potential for global biomass utilization, and the strategic approach of leveraging existing refinery infrastructure. Hultgren candidly discusses the entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing patience, perseverance, and continuous innovation as fundamental to developing transformative sustainable fuel technologies. This conversation also touches on the Nordic region’s leadership in biofuels, the scalability of biomass solutions, and the balancing act between technological innovation and commercial viability. If you enjoyed this episode check out our previous conversation with Wendy Owens, Hexas Biomass: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2202964/episodes/14544753
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The SAF Podcast: Breakthrough Energy - SAF discovery, development and deployment
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 bringing together over 50 organizations to unlock final investment decisions for commercial-scale e-SAF projects. She discusses the importance of bankable offtake agreements, regulatory certainty, and innovative financial mechanisms to bridge the "green premium" gap.Julia offers valuable perspective on how public-private partnerships can drive progress, citing Breakthrough Energy's collaboration with the European Investment Bank and European Commission. She emphasizes the urgent timeline for meeting 2030 mandates, noting that Europe needs 600 kilotons of e-SAF annually but only has 300 kilotons of capacity on track to be operational by then.This episode provides crucial insights into policy alignment challenges, technology development pathways, and the systemic changes needed to scale sustainable aviation fuels and meet ambitious climate targets in Europe and beyond.If you enjoyed this episode, check out our previous discussion with Matteo Mirolo during his time at Transport and Environment: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2202964/episodes/13415579
The SAF Podcast is the only podcast on the internet that exclusively covers sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). So if you want to find out the real issues and challenges are for commercialising and scaling SAF production, look no further. Every week we will be hearing from senior industry leaders who are actively shaping the future of SAF and aviation.
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