The SAF Podcast
SAF Investor’s The SAF Podcast brings together the people shaping the future of sustainable aviation fuel. This includes producers, customers, financiers, critics and others from the market.
It is available on all podcasting platforms.
Season 3
The SAF Podcast – Votion Biorefineries: Patience + Perseverance = Production – 05/03/2025
In this episode of The SAF Podcast, we dive into the evolving world of biomass-to-liquid fuels 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.
The SAF Podcast: Breakthrough Energy – SAF discovery, development and deployment – 26/02/2025
This week we are joined by Julia Reinaud, Breakthrough Energy. She discusses the importance of bankable offtake agreements, regulatory certainty, and innovative financial mechanisms to bridge the “green premium” gap.
The SAF Podcast: Universal Fuel Technologies – Pick and mix for SAF production – 19/02/2025
The week saw the podcast hit the pick and mix with Alexei Beltyukov, Universal Fuel Technologies. We discuss their Flexiforming technology, a drop-in solution that not only reduces costs but also enhances feedstock and product flexibility, ensuring long-term economic viability for refineries transitioning to renewables. check out our full discussion below:
The SAF Podcast: Exolum – Throwing SAF a pipeline – 29/01/2025
This episode we had Gorka Penalva, Exolum join the podcast. Gorka shared his thoughts on the critical yet often overlooked logistics and supply chain challenges facing the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry. He emphasizes the importance of creating efficient import systems to meet mandates in the interim, while making airports more competitive through optimized logistics costs. Check out the full episode below:
The SAF Podcast: Refuels – Aviation staying on the road to decarbonisation – 22/01/2025
On our first episode of 2025 we have Philip Fjeld, Co-Founder & CEO, Refuels. Philip shares his thoughts on what aviation can learn from road transport decarbonisation efforts and the implementation of the RTFO. We also discuss the requirement to think cross sector to ensure overall transport decarbonisation and not to think too narrowly about the problem.
Season 2
The SAF Podcast: S&P Global – Making sure the price is right – 23/10/2024
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. Sophie explains the 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.
The SAF Podcast: OXCCU – Catalyzing change and simplifying the e-fuels equation – 09/10/2024
This week Andrew Symes, OXCCU joins us on the Podcast to discuss their recent demonstration plant, pathways for new technologies to come into the climate space and the challenges in scaling efuels so they can have the impact in achieving Net Zero targets. Check out the episode below:
The SAF Podcast: Repsol and Spain leading the SAF charge – 03/10/2024
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 Spain and Portugal are becoming powerhouses in the SAF industry, backed by abundant resources and expert industrial capacity.
The SAF Podcast: Squake – connecting emissions tracking and finance in business – 25/09/2025
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.
The SAF Podcast: EBRD – The art of spreading risk in SAF projects – 04/09/2024
This episode sees Roberto Gonzalez, EBRD join us to look at the suite of financing tools available for multilateral investors to help attract private capital into SAF projects, including concessional finance, first loss capital and guarantees. This is a great episode if you want to find out the initial challenges and financial tools available to get SAF projects built. Listen to the full discussion below:
The SAF Podcast: World Bank – Blended finance and growing emerging markets – 14/08/2024
This week Binyam Reja, World Bank joins us to discuss the challenges of growing SAF in emerging markets, the countries they are currently working in and how public and private finance needs to be leveraged in order to grow these markets. Listen to the full discussion below:
The SAF Podcast: GAFT – Rethinking how HEFA finds its lipids – 31/07/2024
This week Frank Schreurs, GAFT joins to help rethink how feedstock can be produced for the HEFA pathway. Their technology can use second generation sugars and crude glycerin to make lipids for HEFA SAF prodcution. They are also working on an advanced method using CO2 and electrolysis. Listen to the full discussion below:
The SAF Podcast: CleanJoule – Making the most of what’s been granted – 17/07/2024
We move back to biomass this week in a discussion with Mukund Karanjikar, CleanJoule, to discuss the role government has had in their development and the importance of shaping investment rounds with active partners that share common outlooks. Check out the full episode below.
The SAF Podcast: Refining Air bp’s SAF strategy – 10/07/2024
This week we explore air bp’s ongoing strategy in SAF with Sven Rieive, their current production footprint, the diverse feedstocks used, and the markets they’re targeting. Get the full episode below.
The SAF Podcast: FlyORO: The coffee machine of sustainable aviation fuel – 04/07/2024
Get your coffee ready and listen to Jonathan Yeo, FlyORO, talk about how their blending solution can make the SAF equivalent of an expresso and a cappuccino depending on market demand. Listen to the full episode below.
The SAF Podcast: SkyNRG SAF Market Outlook 2024 – 19/06/2024
Tom Berg, SkyNRG joins The SAF Podcast this week to discuss their recent report outlining current SAF market production, policy and investment trajectories. Catch the full episode below:
The SAF Podcast: The three certainties of SAF – feedstocks, offtakes and tax incentives – 12/06/2024
Dani Charles, Veriflux joins us this week to discuss issues from the importance of accurate accounting for tax eligibility, the nuances of the federal and state tax incentives in the US. Catch the full episode below.
The SAF Podcast: Wastefront – Making the most of a tyre situation – 05/06/2024
This week Vianney Vales, CEO, Wastefront joins the podcast to discuss how end of life tyres can be a great feedstock for SAF, with 50 million being produced annually in the UK alone. We also discuss the progress of their first facility in Sunderland and how projects can best be de-risked for investors through diversified revenue streams and government incentives. Check out the full episode below:
The SAF Podcast: Johnson Matthey’s CANS do attitude – 22nd May 2024
This week we were joined by Maurits van Tol, Johnson Matthey where we discussed their partnership with DG Fuels on their 300,000 metric tonne/year facility under development. We also discuss their Fischer-Tropsch CANS technology developed with bp and what is needed for SAF production to scale at the rate needed to reach emissions targets. Catch the full conversation below:
The SAF Podcast: Honeywell & Latin America – The heart and soul of SAF refining – 15th May 2024
This episode of The SAF Podcast saw Jose Fernandes, Honeywell join us to discuss their licensing technologies and the increasing importance and opportunity of the Latin America region. We also touch on the relationship of licensing and Oil and Gas as well as the recent announcement of their UniCracking technology. Find our full discussion below:
The SAF Podcast: SkyNRG’s journey from procurement to production – 02nd May 2024
This week Oscar was joined by an Oskar, as Oskar Meijerink, SkyNRG. We discussed SkyNRG’s journey from SAF procurement and carbon credits to wading into production. We touch on all their global projects and how the decision regarding refining technologies are made. We also look at the nuances of raingin capital and the differences in Europe and the US and if there are any differences across refining processes. Catch this great discussion below:
The SAF Podcast: Producing on the public markets and the full contact sport of finding investment – 17th April 2024
The SAF Podcast this episode was joined by Mihir Dange, XCF Global Capital and Wray Thorn, Focus Impact Partners to discuss their recent merger announced in March and pending public listing later in 2024. We dive into XCF’s business model and their confidence in their aggressive strategy and have a look at the investor producer relationship from first meetings to the everyday. Check out the full conversation below:
The SAF Podcast: Supporting production through Revenue Certainty Mechanisms – 04 April 2024
The SAF Podcast was delighted to be joined by Gaynor Hartnell and Tom Reid from the Renewable Transport Fuel Association. SAF Producers are desperately in need of long standing support to help them develop SAF production facilities, in this episode we discuss how revenue certainty mechanisms can be a cornerstone in giving producers stability to be able to cover their investment debts. We also discuss the UK policy landscape and working with the UK government. Catch the full episode below:
The SAF Podcast: Finding Project Finance – 21st March 2024
This week’s podcast is a full panel discussion from our recent SAF Investor London conference. Our expert panellists delve into the critical aspects of price discovery, feedstock costs, and the necessity for robust commercial structures. With technology as a cornerstone in SAF production and regulatory frameworks steering the market, we highlight how these factors shape investor interest and confidence in green initiatives. Check out the full episode below.
The SAF Podcast: Unstacking the Climate Investment Stack – 13th March 2024
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. Listen to the full conversation below.
The SAF Podcast: Conference Round Up – 6th March 2024
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. We discuss our highlight moments from the conference, key takeaways that we have, our favourite discussions as well as what surprised us. Check out the full discussion below.
The SAF Podcast: Biomass, burgeoning land economies and “the whole buffalo” – 21st February 2024
This week we had Wendy Owens, Hexas Biomass take us through the properties of Xanograss and why it is a great feedstock for SAF production. We discuss the benefits of second generation biomasses and energy crops including growing bioeconomies in emerging markets and aligning regional economic and global sustainability development. Catch the full episode below.
The SAF Podcast: Understanding aircraft leasing and SAF & the launch of Future Energy Global – 15th February 2024
This episode Natasha Mann, Future Energy Global explains the role aircraft lessors have in scaling SAF production and how her new venture Future Energy Global, plans to facilitate SAF production investment through pre-purchasing agreements. Catch the full episode below.
The SAF Podcast: Business Travel – Making the more sustainable choice – 08th February 2024
This week Nicole Sautter, American Express Global Business Travel, explains the important role corporate customers have in signalling demand for SAF, the Avelia Book and Claim platform and why they invested in United Airline Ventures’ Sustainable Flight Fund. Find the full episode below.
Combustion engines to financial engines: Willis Lease Finance Corp move into e-fuels – 24th January 2024
Austin explains why he got involved in SAF production and what makes e-fuels the attractive option. We also get into the weeds on the process of building a refinery and moving from engine leasing to having to negotiate the financial engines. Catch full conversation below.
The challenges of raising capital – 17th December 2023
This week we shake up the format as both Robert Birdsey, GreenFront Energy Partners and Mukul Hariharan, United Airlines Ventures discuss the the importance of the relationship between project financiers and the SAF. They also discuss which level of finance is the hardest to acquire. Catch the full episode below:
SAF wrapped 2023 – 10th January 2024
Our first podcast of 2024 sees the SAF Podcast hosts discuss their most interesting bits of news from 2023, including Virgin Atlantic’s transatlantic flight and RefuelEU policy announcements. We also cast our eye forward to what we think 2024 has in store. Catch the full episode below.
Season 1
Jim Lockheed, Investment Principal, JetBlue Ventures – 13th December 2023
Lockheed discusses the approach to investing in early stage technology start ups, the close knit relationship between the airline and the investment arm. We also discuss their first SAF investment, The Air Company, and the challenge of the financing gap between early stage and project financing. Find the full episode here.
James Hygate, Co-Founder & CEO, Firefly Green Fuels – 06th December 2023
Hygate explains the potential of sewage as a feedstock for SAF production, the efficiencies of the Hydrothermal Liquefaction production pathway, their approach to agreeing offtake agreements with customers and the potential that India has for SAF production. Find the full episode here.
Daniel Bloch, SAF Specialist, International Air Transport Association – 22nd November 2023
Bloch discusses how choice of feedstocks can have a dramatic effect on commercial dynamics, the complexities of achieving long term emissions targets, and the importance of laying the global foundations now in order to scale supply. Find the full episode here.
Andreea Moyes, global head of Sustainability, Air bp – 15th November 2023
Moyes explains bp’s Co-Processing and the role this has to play in increasing SAF availability, why they have not signed any offtake agreements and the importance of strong strategic partnerships and roadmaps to achieving the Net Zero 2050 aim. Find the full episode here.
Jonathan Pardoe, Fuel Specialist, Star Alliance – 8th November 2023
Pardoe explains what airlines can do to mitigate the supply and demand imbalance, the steps to narrowing the price gap to Jet A1 and is there the potential mismatch between the regulatorily active European and US markets and those in Asia and the Middle East. Listen to the full episode here.
Gene Gebolys, president & CEO, World Energy – 2nd November 2023
Gebolys highlights the commercial importance of the Book and Claim system, but also how it only remains viable if there is strong integrity on the buy side of the equation. He also discusses the recent deals with Microsoft and DHL, the investment in Valent and why World Energy might or might not be a terrible place to work. Listen to the full episode here.
Steven Fance, CEO & CTO, Cultiv8 Hemp Solutions – 26th October 2023
Fance discusses the benefits Hemp has as a feedstock for SAF production, how much of the ongoing demand it could satisfy. Fance also explains to SAF Investor Editor, Fayaz Hussain, what a virtual powerplant is and how AI can assist in satisfying demand. Catch the full episode here.
Jonathon Counsell, group head of sustainability, International Airlines Group – 18th October 2023
Counsell explains IAG’s approach to Sustainable Aviation Fuel through long term offtake agreements and investments. He explains the importance of diversification in SAF pathways and how crucial it is that airlines work collaboratively globally to help decarbonise the industry, not just their own operations. Listen to the full episode here.
Pablo Fexer, managing director, 360 Jet Fuel – 11th October 2023
Fexer dives into the world of offtake agreements, whether there is a way to simplify them, are smaller and regional airlines at risk of being marginalised from supply. The discussion also moves to the questions investors should ask about offtake agreements, advice to producers who are looking for offtake agreements and if SAF will become commoditised or if SAF Futures will be created to stabilise market pricing. Listen here.
Sarah Ellerby, CEO, Nova Pangaea Technologies – 05th October 2023
Ellerby discusses the recent investment by IAG, the ongoing progress of Project Speedbird which they are doing in partnership with Lanzajet and British Airways, and explains the benefit of their REFNOVA technology. Other topics discuss include the challenges of raises money outside of the major US and EU markets and where Nova Pangaea Technologies is looking to expand beyond the UK. Listen here.
John Hannon, COO, Vertimass – 20th September 2023
Hannon takes us through the benefits of Vertimass Catalyst Technology in refinery SAF from Alcohol, the option of co-locating with existing Ethanol refineries to lower CAPEX costs, the role techno-economic anaylses have in understanding the issues of scalability and he runs through the progress of their series C funding round. listen here.
Jean Paquin, CEO, SAF+ Consortium – 6th September 2023
Paquin explains the opportunities that power-to-liquid (PtL) fuels present for aviation, the vast availability of renewable power in Montreal, a real benefit for PtL fuel production, the importance of a portfolio approach to stakeholders as well as the recent offtake agreement with KLM Group. Listen here.
Jimmy Samartzis, CEO, LanzaJet – 23rd August 2023
Samartzis explains why everyone involved in the SAF industry needs to speed up, the importance of having the right shareholders for project development and he discusses when the Freedom Pines facility in Georgia will begin commercial production. Listen here.
Matteo Mirolo, Aviation Policy Manager, Transport & Environment – 16th August 2023
Mirolo dives into the issues of feedstock fraud with used cooking oil and the concept of ‘crypto SAF’ being developed from complicated book-and-claim systems, both of which are potential hurdles to the transparency the SAF industry needs to attract further investment. Listen here.
Chris Brown, Partner, Aviation Strategy & Global Chair, Future of Flight, KPMG – 9th August 2023
Brown shares his thoughts on the realistic chance SAF has on making its targets, why he is more bullish on e-fuels and the crucial role Carbon Capture and offsetting will have in decarbonising aviation. Listen here.
John May, Managing Director, Hamilton Clark – 2nd August 2023
May discusses the challenges of finding investors, the sorts of investors technology start ups and licensee projects should look for, as well as a deep dive into explaining what technology risk insurance is, and how it works. Listen here.
Sylvain Verdier, Senior Strategy Manager, Corporate Strategy, Topsoe – 14th July 2023
Verdier discusses Lego bricks, the issues of getting approval and whether we are likely to meet 2050 emissions targets, as well as Topsoe’s new joint venture with Sasol, their first venture into being a fuel producer themselves. Listen here.
Kennedy Ricci, President, 4AIR – 3rd July 2023
Ricci talks about the importance of feedstock transparency and traceability and how SAF fits into an overall sustainability picture alongside electric and hydrogen powered aircraft. Listen here.
Patrick Edmond, Managing Director, Altair Advisory – 16th June 2023
Edmond talks what is preventing large scale production ramp up, the importance of clear regulations and why Ireland could become a production hub. Listen here.
Tim Obitts, Acting CEO, Alder – 9th June 2023
Obitts talks regulation, the economics of SAF, the role of big oil, and raising capital. Listen here
The SAF Podcast is produced by Oscar Henderson
If you would be interested in speaking on it please email him.