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 over 700,000 tons annually.

The discussion explores critical industry challenges including feedstock security, the potential impact of China's anticipated SAF mandates in their upcoming five-year plan, and the complex dynamics between regional production and global supply chains. Lievonen addresses the tension between Europe's preference for local production versus Asia's capacity for large-scale, cost-effective manufacturing and export.

Key topics include strategic partnerships with airlines like British Airways, the role of private equity investment from Bain Capital and Kerogen Capital, and the urgent need for policy harmonization across regions to accelerate SAF adoption. Lievonen also discusses consumer education challenges, cost reduction strategies through novel feedstock development, and the collaborative ecosystem approach needed to achieve aviation's 2050 decarbonization targets.

Despite current cost barriers, Lievenen remains optimistic about SAF's future: "If you think about the time track, SAF has been now like five years old. If you think about fossil fuel, it's 100 years old. So we have time, and I'm sure we could find a way to make SAF very competitive but also well-used." Through collaboration across airlines, suppliers, and governments, the vision of truly sustainable aviation feels increasingly within reach.

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 aviation development.

The conversation explores the unique challenges of Asia's diverse landscape - from feedstock traceability issues to financing innovative technologies. While mature HEFA processes using waste oils are gaining substantial investment, newer pathways utilizing regional resources like cassava-based ethanol and agricultural waste require additional support. The founders detail how they're working to mobilize capital through partnerships with development banks and create harmonized standards that could eventually unify the region's approach.

Southeast Asia emerges as a particular hotspot, with Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam all developing significant production capacity that could contribute over 2 million tons of SAF within 5-8 years. Meanwhile, India's renewed focus on biofuels and ethanol production signals another major growth area. These developments are supported by a wave of national policies, with Singapore, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Korea all set to announce SAF targets or mandates.

Anyone involved in SAF globally has one eye on Asia, so check out the full discussion to find out in detail the updates and trends across the region.

SAF Investor New York is in two weeks on the 23rd September, it is still not too late to join us, so don't miss out and book your place here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0mv63z0

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 become sustainable aviation fuel.

What sets this approach apart is its commercial readiness. While much attention focuses on early-stage technologies, HTW gasification has already operated at scale, processing 500-1,000 tons of waste daily into valuable products. This sweet spot balances economic viability with practical feedstock logistics – smaller plants struggle financially while larger ones face insurmountable waste collection challenges.

Peter-Paul discusses the challenges of scaling projects, particularly feedstock logistics, permitting, and financing, and highlights how Gidara works with project developers and investors to bring projects from concept to final investment decision (FID).

The conversation shifts to Gidara's strategic pivot toward technology licensing, driven by urgent market demand for alternative SAF pathways as HVO/HEFA production approaches feedstock limitations by 2030. This urgency catalyzed the formation of the SAF Technology Alliance – a groundbreaking partnership between Gidara Energy, Samsung E&A, Johnson Matthey, and UOP Honeywell offering integrated, turnkey solutions from waste to wing.

Listen to the end to find out what Peter-Paul considers to be the biggest industry misconceptions when it comes to SAF technology licensing.

Ready to connect with the innovators and investors making sustainable aviation a reality? Join us September 23rd in New York for an exclusive industry gathering where you'll meet the people and technologies driving us toward our 2050 targets. Find out more here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0mv63z0

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 SAF feedstocks, potentially providing 30% of US jet fuel supply from existing landfills alone. He challenges conventional thinking about project scale, advocating for smaller, replicable facilities rather than massive billion-dollar plants that face lengthy development cycles and higher risks.

Key topics include the economics of different SAF pathways, the role of government mandates versus subsidies in driving adoption, and why the "green premium" terminology may need revision. Lloyd discusses power-to-liquid fuels, comparing eSAF production costs with biosynthetic alternatives, and examines how renewable natural gas infrastructure creates opportunities for distributed SAF production.

The episode addresses critical industry challenges including capital expenditure optimization, investor expectations, and the technology valley of death that many startups face. Lloyd's insights on replicating successful models from the ethanol industry provide valuable perspectives on scaling sustainable aviation fuel production efficiently while managing financial and technical risks in the rapidly evolving clean energy sector.

If you enjoy this join us for SAF Investor New York on 23rd September as part of New York Climate Week. Find out more here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0mv63z0

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 while still scaling sustainable aviation fuel production globally.

Their strong partnerships with the US military have provided rigorous testing opportunities across air, land, and marine vehicles, validating their technology beyond what's possible in purely commercial settings. After closing a $70 million Series B funding round with strategic investors including JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, and Toyota Ventures, AIRCO is positioning itself as a technology provider rather than a large-scale fuel producer—focusing on licensing their technology to established operators who can scale production globally.

Constantine also discusses the challenges of balancing emissions reduction with cost competitiveness in the eSAF market, where fuels can cost seven times more than conventional jet fuel. The conversation then moves to feedstock flexibility, policy implications for e-fuels development and which policy structures he finds most practical.

Check out the full conversation to find out more.

Want to learn more about sustainable aviation fuel investment opportunities? Join us at the SAF Investor New York conference on September 23rd during New York Climate Week. Find out more information here: https://www.safinvestor.com/event/148108/saf-investor-new-york-2025-new/

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 biofuels, and details how Synhelion’s technology achieves high carbon efficiency and cost-competitive production targets—potentially under €1 per litre at commercial scale. The discussion covers their Dawn pilot plant in Germany, which integrates both concentrated solar power and photovoltaic-powered heating, enabling full end-to-end SAF production and critical scale-up learning.

We also examine feedstock strategies, including biomethane and CO₂ utilisation, location selection for optimal solar conditions, and the logistics of transporting high-energy-density fuels globally with minimal emissions. Gianluca outlines Synhelion’s scale-up roadmap, including intermediate commercial steps to de-risk investment, the importance of strategic and institutional partnerships, and the role of policy frameworks, mandates, and debt guarantees in financing large-scale SAF facilities.

If you enjoy the podcast, join us at SAF Investor New York where we are bringing together industry leaders to discuss the critical issues around accelerating capital deployment in SAF production. We would love to see as many of you there! You can register through the following link: https://corporate-jet-investor.myshopify.com/collections/saf-investor-new-york

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 leasing and storage infrastructure, and outlines what makes a SAF project attractive from a lender's perspective.

The conversation dives deep into equity versus debt in project finance, the challenges of funding first-of-a-kind SAF technologies, and the growing importance of public-private partnerships. Martin shares candid insights on why equity—more than debt—is the bottleneck, and how regulation, price certainty, and government support mechanisms like Project SkyPower are critical for unlocking financing and achieving 2030 mandate targets.

Finally, Forman discusses SMBC's preference for club lending arrangements, strategic sponsors over financial investors, and the importance of proximity to feedstock sources.

If you enjoyed this discussion check out our previous episode with Richard Mathers, Honeywell here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2202964/episodes/17475885

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 10%, and accelerate project timelines by 15%.

First, Richard walks us through Honeywell’s approach to technology licensing, project financing, and feedstock flexibility across multiple SAF pathways—including HEFA, ethanol-to-jet, methanol-to-jet (eFining), and FT-Unicracking.

Richard explains the critical role technology licensors play beyond just providing technology – from performance guarantees and warranties to supporting project finance and reducing perceived risks throughout the project lifecycle.

Richard provides valuable insights into technology licensing benefits, project financing considerations, and how Honeywell's evolutionary approach to proven technologies helps de-risk SAF production investments.

If you enjoyed this discussion check out our previous episode with SKyNRG and ICF discussing their recent Global Market Outlook report here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2202964/episodes/17435560