The SAF Podcast

• The SAF Podcast: Exolum - Stocking the shelves for SAF's superhighway

  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 over 2,000 kilometers of pipeline infrastructure that handles 40% of the UK's jet fuel, they're uniquely positioned to accelerate SAF adoption. Their decision to self-finance the Redcliffe Bay blending facility demonstrates a proactive approach to building the infrastructure needed to meet growing demand and regulatory mandates.This episode delves into the practical challenges of adapting post-war infrastructure for modern sustainable fuel blending, the benefits of pipeline transportation versus road transport for both emissions and cost, and the critical role of both national and local government support in developing SAF infrastructure. Gorka shares insights on Exolum's year-long development process, their plans to expand blending facilities across multiple UK import locations, and how they're leveraging experience from their operations in Spain, Amsterdam, and Germany.Gorka explains why the team chose internal financing to accelerate timelines, how a two-year concept-to-commission journey unfolded, and where the “SAF superhighway” goes next.Policy and logistics converge here. National mandates frame the destination, while local leaders help clear the path. We discuss why both levels of government matter, what reliable imports mean for producers, and how pipelines can cut emissions and reduce congestion versus road transport. This equates to nearly 200,000 trucks. Nose to tail that would be enough to stretch the entire coastline of Great Britain. Looking ahead 12–24 months, Exolum is mapping additional blending sites, aligning with import corridors, and engaging stakeholders, with external capital on the table for future phases. If you care about scaling SAF supply, reducing logistics emissions, and giving airports dependable access to blended fuel, this conversation lays out a grounded plan to get there.If you want more of the back story on Exolum, listen to our first episode from earlier in the year here: https://www.safinvestor.com/podcast/146997/the-saf-podcast-exolum-throwing-saf-a-pipeline/

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• The SAF Podcast: Alaska Airlines - Focusing on what you can control

  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 emissions at scale this decade.We also discuss how potentially the role of the airline in scaling SAF is changing, traditional offtakes alone won’t unlock the market. Agreements with Neste, World Energy, Cosmo Oil and Philips 66 get molecules of SAF into the ring, but are not having the desired fly wheel effect of indicating the level of demand to scale production. Diana highlights the real change will come from building deep partnerships with early stage producers developing new technologies, such as Twelve and AIRCO alongside investments from their Alaska Star Ventures investment arm.  This has been expanded with the new $150 million fund launched with Breakthrough Energy Ventures and oneworld Alliance partners, designed to identify and scale next-generation SAF technologies. With deep technical expertise and a global lens, the fund targets pathways that can scale, hit strong carbon intensity scores, and compete on costWe also look at the more regional scale work being done in Hawaii with the Par Hawaii. There is a real drive to build out renewable energy security highlighted by the  $90 million investment in renewable fuel production and trials of camelina as a locally-grown feedstock.

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• The SAF Podcast: Catagen - The modular route to decentralised SAF supply

  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 underutilized by large-scale industrial operations.We break down Catagen's financing strategy. Government grants helped reach TRL 7. Currently they are engaged in a SAFE note equity raise before opening up to a pre-FID £18m equity round. This is followed by a planned project investment bringing the total to £60m.This small amount of investment compared to large centralised facilities is one of the benefits Mel highlights of the modular strategy. Others include the ability to co-locate with renewable energy infrastructure, feedstocks or airports offering great operational flexibility. We touch on the recent off take announcements from the launch with Ryanair and Shell Aviation Ireland, emphasising how modular SAF facilities can suit airline economics for regional carriers. If listening to the facility description wasn't enough you can see it via the link here: https://climahtechgreenflight.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025.08.07_catagen_digital_launch_v4_subtitled-540p.mp4 

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• The SAF Podcast: PA Consulting - From Cacophony to Symphony

  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 scaling challenge, there's significant optimism and willingness to collaborate across the ecosystem. We discuss the belief blame graph to stress the importance of looking beyond individual niches to find cross-sector solutions, highlighting emerging innovations in project structures, risk allocation, and demand aggregation that could accelerate sustainable aviation fuel adoption globally.Key topics include regional policy differences between the US and UK approaches, with the UK taking a more collaborative industry consultation model while US policy appears more fragmented and uncertain. We discuss innovative financing structures, the role of major airlines with strong balance sheets in driving early adoption, and the development of PA Consulting's cost of decarbonization tool that helps airlines calculate long-term financial impacts.You can read the full report via the link here to see the insight in literary and pictoral forms: https://www.paconsulting.com/industries/transport/aviation/scaling-sustainable-aviation-fuel

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• The SAF Podcast: EcoCeres - Planting the seeds for SAF's bumper harvest

  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.

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