Meet the SAFTAs Finalists: Organisations leading the future of aviation decarbonisation
We’re delighted to share the second round of finalists for the inaugural SAFTAs (Sustainable Aviation Futures Trailblazer Awards) recognising the organisations, projects, and individuals delivering tangible progress in SAF and wider aviation decarbonisation. From scaling production and enabling next-generation projects, to improving airline operations, airport readiness, and the systems that make market growth possible, the SAFTAs exist to spotlight work that’s credible, replicable, and ready to scale.
In this edition of SAF Spotlight, we’re introducing a selection of this year’s finalists, sharing the stories behind their progress, the partnerships that made it possible, and why they’re the people, projects, and businesses moving the industry forward.
PtL / eSAF Project of the Year
Finalist: Project SkyKraft
SkyKraft: A Next-Generation e-SAF Project in Northern Sweden
Project SkyKraft is a large-scale initiative to develop an electro-Sustainable Aviation Fuel (e-SAF) production facility in Skellefteå, northern Sweden. Advanced through a partnership between SkyNRG and Skellefteå Kraft, the project combines expertise in sustainable fuel development with renewable energy generation. Its primary objective is to contribute to aviation decarbonization through the production of synthetic jet fuel derived from renewable electricity and captured carbon dioxide.
Skellefteå was chosen for several favorable conditions. The region has abundant renewable electricity, primarily from hydropower and wind, which is essential for producing green hydrogen at scale. It also offers biogenic CO₂ from local industries and established infrastructure such as grid connections and port facilities. Together, these factors create an environment well suited for continuous, industrial-scale fuel production.
Within the partnership, SkyNRG contributes its experience in SAF markets, project development, and certification, while Skellefteå Kraft provides renewable energy and plays a key role in integrating the plant into the regional energy system. This collaboration reflects a broader trend in the energy and aviation sectors, where cross-industry partnerships are necessary to bring new fuel technologies to commercial scale.
The facility is expected to produce around 120,000 tonnes of e-SAF annually in its initial phase, with potential for future expansion depending on market demand and regulatory developments. A final investment decision is anticipated later in the decade, with operations targeted to begin around 2031. This timeline aligns with emerging European policy frameworks, such as blending mandates that will require increasing shares of e-SAF in the coming years.
The project also aims to make efficient use of energy and resources. Excess heat generated during production could be supplied to local district heating networks, integrating the facility into a broader circular energy system rather than operating as a standalone plant. SkyKraft represents an example of how e-SAF production can be scaled through renewable energy and industrial partnerships.
Finalist: Verso Energy’s DEZiR eSAF Project
DEZiR: moving e-SAF from ambition to industrial reality
80,000 tonnes of e-SAF per year from 2030. An unprecedented level of vertical integration. Tier-one industrial and financial partners. And a model already being replicated across six projects in Europe and the U.S.
This is how Verso Energy is turning one of aviation’s hardest decarbonisation challenges into a bankable industrial opportunity — starting with DEZiR, the first-of-a-kind blueprint for a new generation of e-SAF facilities.
Located near Rouen, France, in an established fuel infrastructure hub — large-scale storage, blending capacity, multi-modal logistics — DEZiR will be one of Europe’s first fully integrated, large-scale e-SAF facilities, built around the Methanol-to-Jet pathway, in partnership with Technip Energies, its subsidiary Rely, and Honeywell UOP.
What that means for airlines and traders: up to 80 kt/year of low-carbon and renewable e-SAF from 2030, and direct compliance with the first ReFuelEU Aviation mandates, produced without any additional biomass demand.
DEZiR’s bet: do it all in one place. Capture of 100% biogenic CO₂, production of renewable and low-carbon electrolytic hydrogen, and synthesis into hydrocarbon chains — all on a single integrated site, powered by French decarbonised electricity mix, and renewable PPAs.
The results: environmental performance, cost-competitiveness, scale and bankability, reconciled. Third-party and interface risks minimized. And lead times and timing of first mandates aligned.
Built with the best in the industry:
Rely (a JV between Technip Energies and John Cockerill) leads the ongoing FEED studies — a world first for a project of this kind. Technip Energies is also taking an equity stake alongside Verso Energy.
Honeywell UOP brings its mature, standardised eFining™ Methanol-to-Jet technology, selected for its best-in-class selectivity: more high-value e-SAF molecules, fewer hard-to-market by-products.
The Green Finance Institute, through the SkyPower Project Accelerator, is supporting Verso Energy on the path to final investment decision (FID).
DEZiR is only the beginning. Verso Energy is already replicating this model across six projects in Europe and the U.S., to build a competitive, bankable and resilient e-SAF industry at scale.
Airline, trader, investor or industrial off-taker? Let’s talk about where DEZiR — and its replicas — fit into your decarbonisation strategy.
Finalist: Zero Petroleum Limited
PROJECT “PLANT ZERO.1”: WHY AN INTEGRATED eFUEL TECHNOLOGY CENTRE IS CRITICAL FOR eSAF
Plant Zero.1, Zero Petroleum's integrated eFuel research, development and production centre near Oxford, UK, is shortlisted for PtL / eSAF Project of the Year at the inaugural SAFTAs. Its significance extends well beyond what has been achieved there already: Plant Zero.1 is a permanent platform for solving the central challenge facing the eSAF sector - reaching cost parity with fossil jet fuel, the threshold at which eSAF and eFuels generally will hyperscale.
That threshold will not be crossed through larger plants alone. It requires sustained improvement - optimising catalyst performance, improving selectivity and yield, reducing energy consumption per litre, and refining process integration. That demands a facility purpose-built for rapid iteration, and Plant Zero.1 is exactly that: production-scale reactors, hydrogen electrolysis, gas chromatography and GCMS analytics, bespoke control systems and software, all designed and built by a team whose founders combine the rigour of world-class academic chemistry with the performance culture of Formula One - all under one roof, driving a development loop measured in hours rather than weeks.
At its heart is Zero's proprietary Direct FT (Direct Fischer-Tropsch) technology - a novel, non-cobalt catalyst system producing 100% drop-in replica fuels directly from CO2 and green hydrogen, without the post-processing, hydrocracking or blending that conventional FT requires. The reactor achieves molecular-level control of fuel composition at up to 95% selectivity in the liquid fraction, including the aromatic content essential for jet fuel specifications. No refinery co-processing or mass-balance accounting is needed.
The facility houses two Direct FT production plants: FT1, a single-tube full-scale reactor commissioned August 2023, and FT24, a 24-tube reactor designed and built in a two-month sprint and operational from March 2024. Crucially, both use the same tube geometry and catalysis configuration intended for commercial plants. The chemistry scale-up is done - commercial scale-up is achieved by numbering up tubes and replicating modules, not by redesigning the process. Direct FT also delivers up to 50% lower anticipated capital costs than established FT technologies by eliminating hydrocracking and refinery dependencies. The infrastructure supports expansion to multiple rigs and 40 litres per day as the programme advances.
By 31 December 2025, Plant Zero.1 had produced over 150 litres of Jet A-1 replica fuel, 70 litres of RON 96 aviation gasoline and 20 litres of 102 RON aromatic gasoline blend stock - each produced separately from the same hardware at very high selectivity. The Jet A-1 replica is undergoing ASTM D4054 certification at the UK SAF Clearing House. In March 2025, Zero completed a flight test programme using 100% Direct FT aviation gasoline, building on the November 2022 Guinness World Record with the Royal Air Force. The technology has been peer reviewed and published by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE-229075-MS, ADIPEC 2025).
The project has been recognised by the UK Government with approximately GBP 7 million in competitive grants. Boeing, Airbus and Rolls-Royce are formal partners in Zero's eSAF programme. Zero's ambition is to reach fossil fuel cost parity within ten years.
Plant Zero.1 is proof that the route to affordable eSAF runs through relentless, disciplined engineering - not bigger promises.
Airline Sustainability Excellence Award
Finalist: British Airways
British Airways is part of International Airlines Group (IAG), the first global airline group to commit to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 across Scopes 1, 2 and 3. In 2025, British Airways reduced its emission intensity by 14.5% below its 2019 baseline and 0.7% lower than in 2024 across all scopes, reflecting continued progress under its sustainability strategy, BA Better World.
One contributing factor to its progress is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which remains one of the most effective solutions available today to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from aviation. British Airways was among the first airline groups to set a target of using 10% SAF by 2030, ahead of the introduction of the UK SAF mandate. In the face of global supply constraints, the airline has focused on both securing long‑term SAF supply and stimulating demand to support market scale‑up.
In 2025, SAF accounted for 4.5% of British Airways’ total fuel use, equivalent to 225,000 tonnes of SAF. This mitigated approximately 713,000 tonnes of CO₂e compared with conventional fossil jet fuel - a 73% increase on 2024, when SAF accounted for 2.7% (130,000 tonnes). Of the SAF used in 2025, 48% was uplifted to meet evolving UK and EU regulatory requirements, with the remaining volume supplied through British Airways’ voluntary Scope 3 programme.
This voluntary demand is enabled through CO₂llaborate, British Airways’ SAF programme for corporate and cargo customers seeking to reduce their own Scope 3.6 emissions from business travel and freight. CO₂llaborate is designed to support organisations of all sizes, with SAF purchases ranging from 1 tCO₂e to more than 150,000 tCO₂e. Participants span a wide range of sectors, including energy, banking, technology, professional services, sports, entertainment and freight forwarding, demonstrating growing cross‑sector engagement in aviation decarbonisation.
British Airways also works to build understanding and capability across the travel sector. In partnership with the GBTA Sustainability Foundation, the airline supported the development of the SAF Corporate Connect platform, providing guidance, materials and case studies to help organisations integrate SAF into their travel sustainability strategies.
In April 2025, British Airways launched a new platform allowing Members of The British Airways Club to contribute directly to SAF. Members can use cash and/or Avios and are rewarded with tier points and Avios, enabling status progression without flying, helping to reduce unnecessary travel.
Alongside SAF, British Airways continues to pursue a range of additional measures as it works to reduce its emissions intensity across its operations and value chain, including efficiency initiatives, innovation projects and engagement on carbon removals to address residual emissions over time.
Finalist: DHL Express
DHL Express and Sustainable Aviation Fuel: From Early Adoption to Scaled Implementation
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is widely recognized as a critical enabler of aviation decarbonization, yet deployment at meaningful scale has remained challenging across much of the sector. DHL Express has approached this challenge through early investment, operational integration, and customer-focused solutions, gradually building substantial SAF use within air logistics.
In 2025, DHL Express used 185,000 tonnes of SAF in their own fleet, representing 10% of its aviation fuel consumption for the year. While SAF availability remains limited globally, this level of uptake illustrates how sustained demand can translate into deployment at scale. 97% of the SAF use was voluntary, rather than to meet regulatory blending requirements, reflecting a strategy aimed at achieving emissions reductions ahead of policy timelines.
DHL Express operates a complex global air network that combines an owned fleet with extensive use of partner airlines. Accordingly, SAF deployment extends beyond direct operations. In addition to SAF used within its own network, DHL enabled 35,000 tonnes of SAF use in partner airline operations, all on a voluntary basis. Combined, SAF use across DHL Express operations contributed to substantial emissions reductions in 2025. At Group level, DHL achieved a total of approximately 775,000 tonnes of CO₂e emissions reductions through the use of SAF during the year, demonstrating the cumulative impact of SAF across its aviation activities.
Customer participation is a core element of DHL’s approach. Through GoGreen Plus, DHL allows customers to reduce the emissions associated with their shipments by supporting SAF use within its aviation network. The service is structured as an insetting solution, enabling customers to account for reductions within their Scope 3 emissions in line with prevailing standards. Uptake has grown steadily, with more than 580,000 customers using GoGreen Plus in 2025, including multinational companies seeking practical options to address transport emissions within their supply chains.
To support continued SAF deployment, DHL Express has focused on securing longer-term supply through a portfolio of partnerships. The most recently announced examples, in 2026, are an expanded multi-year collaboration with IAG Cargo (Scope 3) and long-term offtake with SAF One for supply in Bahrain. The agreement with SAF One secures offtake from a new facility for Bahrain and covers a total volume of 250,000 tonnes neat SAF during the ten-year term. It is the first transaction of this magnitude in the middle east.
Alongside scale, sustainability integrity remains a priority. DHL applies defined sustainability criteria through its Group Sustainable Fuels Policy and relies on independently certified SAF. The company also participates in industry initiatives focused on certification systems, carbon accounting, and book-and-claim methodologies, reflecting the ongoing need for transparency and consistency as SAF markets develop.
Overall, DHL Express’s experience illustrates how sustained voluntary demand, customer participation, and long-term partnerships can contribute to the meaningful expansion of SAF use. While challenges around cost and supply remain, the case shows how SAF can already deliver measurable emission reductions when deployed in a customer-focused and system-wide way.
Finalist: LATAM Airlines Group
Turning Ambition into Action in Aviation Decarbonization
As the global aviation industry debates how to scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), LATAM is taking a different path, one defined by action. In a region where SAF supply remains limited and structural challenges are significant, LATAM is working to turn decarbonization into reality.
Operating across LatinAmerica, LATAM faces a very complex environment for energy transition. Yet, instead of seeing these constraints as barriers, the group positions SAF as a catalyst to reduce emissions, but also to help build the ecosystem required for long-term transformation.
With nearly 95-98% of its emissions tied to fuel, SAF is essential. However, in a market defined by scarce supply, significantly higher costs, and evolving regulation, progress demands more than ambition. It requires leadership. LATAM chose to lead. Its approach is built on three pillars. First is market creation, through active support for robust, data-driven public policies. One example is its collaboration with Airbus to co-fund an independent MIT study on aviation decarbonization in LatinAmerica, helping inform and accelerate policy development across the region. For LatinAmerica, having specific policies tailored to the region’s reality is indispensable, as the geographic characteristics require aviation for its internal and external connectivity, so policies must balance higher costs with incentives to impede connectivity fragmentation.
The second pillar is demand activation. By engaging corporate customers, LATAMn helps generate demand for SAF, a critical step to unlock investment and scale production. Its voluntary SAF program aligns with international standards such as the GHG Protocol, and CORSIA, ensuring transparency, traceability, and environmental integrity while avoiding double counting, thanks to its external verification.
The third pillar, commercial innovation, focuses on transforming ambition into solutions. By balancing environmental credibility with financial feasibility, LATAM enables a gradual and scalable adoption of SAF.
Beyond fuel, the company’s strategy combines multiple levers. Fleet renewal plays a key role, with next-generation aircraft such as B787, A320neo, and E195-E2, capable of reducing emissions by up to 20-25%, according to manufacturers. By 2030, more than half of the fleet is expected to consist of these models.
Operational excellence is another driver. Since 2010, LATAM Fuel Efficiency program has avoided ~6.4 million tons of CO₂ and delivered efficiency gains of ~7%, through initiatives such as route optimization, advanced analytics, and innovative technologies.
LATAM also acts as a connector across the value chain, bringing together producers, customers, governments, and financial institutions. This collaborative approach is essential for the development of a SAF ecosystem in Latin America. Clear targets guide this journey: a 6% reduction in emissions intensity by 2030 (vs. 2019) and net zero by 2050. Complementing these efforts, LATAM invests in conservation projects with strong environmental and social impact. The results are evident: emissions intensity ~10% below the industry average, more than 3 million gallons of SAF used, and global recognition for sustainability performance.
LATAM’s experience sends a clear message: meaningful aviation decarbonization is not only about future technologies: it is about building markets, fostering collaboration, and acting now.
Corporate Sustainability Leadership Award
Finalist: Avelia
Book and claim solutions are key to scaling Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) across the aviation sector. Launched in 2022 by Shell Aviation in collaboration with American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), Accenture and Energy Web Foundation, Avelia is one of the first book and claim solutions for aviation.What started as a pilot project has established itself as one of the leading blockchain-powered book and claim solution built with the aim of scaling (SAF) and reducing the life cycle GHG emissions of aviation. Avelia aims to enable greater participation in the sector’s decarbonisation efforts by providing wider access to the life cycle GHG emissions reduction benefits of SAF – compared to conventional jet fuel - across the aviation value chain.
The platform’s progress is measurable. Since its launch in 2022 up to 31 December 2025, Avelia helped inject over 64 million gallons of SAF into the existing fuelling network helping to abate1 over 590,000 tCO2e2 compared to conventional jet fuel, equivalent to over 1,000,000 passengers flying from London to New York3. Over 1300 retirements were executed on the Avelia platform, and 66 airlines and corporations have already joined Avelia4.
For book and claim solutions to gain industry-wide trust and drive real impact, confidence must be built through credibility, transparency and robust governance. Avelia adheres to the ‘SAF GHG Emission Accounting and Insetting Guidelines (2021)’ from the Smart Freight Centre (SFC) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Centre for Transportation and Logistics (CtL), and meets all 11 principlesfor credible book and claim systems in heavy transport applications developed by the Book and Claim Community and released in June 2024. Avelia is a SABA (Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance) fully eligible SAF registry, meeting all SABA’s SAF Eligible Registry Selection Criteria.
The blockchain technology enables Avelia to securely track the delivery of SAF and the allocation of associated environmental attributes information, providing traceability and integrity. Avelia is also externally verified, to a level of limited assurance, following ISO 14064-3, by LRQA - an independent assurance provider accredited to ISO 14065.
Transparency is supported through public records and enhanced customer documentation. Avelia’s retirement records are available on the Avelia website, and customers can increase transparency by disclosing additional information, such as their name and full DEAs/PTDs. To provide more accurate and transparent emissions information, Avelia customer documentation has been updated to include additional data points such as Proof of Sustainability / Sustainability Declaration ID, supplier declarations of SAF incentives, tax credits and regulatory schemes. The Avelia Rulebook helps users access critical technical information regarding the platform.
Avelia has been evolving towards an industry solution, with multilateral governance, independent data hosting, and broader SAF supplier choice. The Avelia Multilateral Governance Committeeestablished in 2026reinforcesits commitment to transparency, credibility and industry-wide participation.
Avelia’s evolution aims to better meet customer needs, accelerate SAF adoption, and provide companies with a clear, scalable pathway to credible life cycle GHG emissions reductions from aviation.
Learn more at Latest News and Updates | Avelia
Finalist: Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team
Engineering Sustainable High Performance Beyond the Track
The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team is one of the most successful teams in Formula One history, driven by innovation, engineering excellence and a relentless pursuit of performance. Today, that same mindset underpins our ambition to become one of the most sustainable global professional sports teams. Sustainability is integral to how we operate, innovate and compete, and we are committed to achieving Net Zero for Race Team Control emissions by 2030, and full Net Zero across all scopes by 2040, embedding long-term climate responsibility into every aspect of our business.
As a global sport, our operations rely heavily on international travel, with aviation representing a key contributor to our footprint. In 2022 we became the first global sports team to invest in Sustainable Aviation Fuel certificates (SAFc) through a book-and-claim model, and by the end of 2025 we had quadrupled our aviation emissions reductions through SAFc. We see SAF as a critical solution to reduce emissions from unavoidable air travel, and a key lever in tackling Scope 3 emissions - where the greatest opportunity for meaningful reduction sits.
By investing in sustainable fuels today, we not only reduce our own impact, but also help to stimulate demand, accelerate the development of supply chains, and contribute to the scaling of a technology that will be essential to the future of aviation. Early adoption plays a vital role in unlocking wider industry progress, supporting the transition to lower-carbon air travel across sectors.
Alongside aviation, we are taking a high-level, system-wide approach to reducing emissions across our operations. This includes scaling lower-carbon fuels across our logistics network and trialling innovative solutions that challenge traditional approaches to freight and transport. These actions demonstrate how performance-led organisations can act quickly to deploy more sustainable alternatives, while maintaining operational excellence.
Beyond our own operations, we play a unique role in accelerating innovation. Formula One is the world’s fastest test lab, allowing us to develop and demonstrate technologies under the most demanding conditions. The 2026 season saw our sport adopt advanced sustainable fuel in our race cars. Designed as scalable, drop-in solutions, they are compatible with road cars without modification, showcasing how motorsport innovation can support decarbonisation beyond the track.
We are also investing in the long-term solutions needed to support a Net Zero future. Our growing carbon removals portfolio - spanning both nature-based, hybrid and engineered portfolio reflects a commitment to driving high-integrity climate solutions at scale. Initiatives such as the Blue Carbon Collective, a collaboration between our team and our Title and Technical Partner PETRONAS, further demonstrate how we are supporting ecosystem restoration and advancing research into carbon capture, delivering both environmental and societal benefits.
Crucially, our ambition extends beyond reducing our own emissions. We aim to use our global platform to help accelerate progress across industries, including aviation and energy. By investing in SAFc, supporting advanced fuels, and demonstrating innovation at scale, we are helping to build momentum behind the technologies that will define a more sustainable future.
In Formula One, success is measured in performance. In sustainability, it is measured in impact. By combining both, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team is showing how high performance can drive meaningful, scalable change far beyond the track.
Finalist: Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA)
Catalyzing Next Generation SAF Through Collective Procurement
As the aviation sector intensifies efforts to decarbonize, the challenge is no longer proving that SAF can reduce emissions, but rather, scaling highest-impact SAF production pathways. The Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) is helping meet that challenge by showing how aggregated corporate demand can unlock new supply and move next-generation fuels toward commercial deployment.
SABA was established in 2021 as a joint initiative of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Center for Green Market Activation (GMA), and RMI. It accelerates the path to net-zero aviation by helping companies invest in SAF through collective procurements that translate voluntary demand into the offtake needed to support SAF production projects – a model that has since been applied to other hard to abate transport sectors such as maritime and trucking looking to build on its success.
SABA’s latest milestone - the selection of Infinium’s Project Atlas in its next-generation SAF procurement - targets a persistent barrier to scaling SAF: early-stage project financing. The procurement brings corporate buyers together with an advanced fuel producer and an airline partner to create a bankable demand signal in support of final investment decision (FID) for Infinium’s new eFuel facility.
While today’s SAF supply is beginning to reduce aviation emissions, long-term decarbonization will depend on scalable, ultra-low-carbon pathways such as power-to-liquids (eFuels) and advanced biofuels. These technologies can deliver deep lifecycle emissions reductions but require substantial upfront capital and multi-year offtake commitments to move from concept to construction. SABA’s dedicated next-generation SAF procurement creates a practical route for corporate buyers seeking to address their air travel and air freight emissions to help bridge this gap and support the fuels needed beyond 2030.
Project Atlas will produce eFuels using waste CO2 and renewable energy, targeting ~95% carbon intensity reduction versus conventional jet fuel. Selected through a rigorous multi-stage evaluation, the project stood out for technical integrity, scalability, and its ability to meet stringent sustainability and carbon accounting criteria. In partnership with American Airlines, which will take delivery and manage logistics of the SAF, the project demonstrates how coordinated action across the value chain can reduce execution risk and enable real-world implementation.
SABA’s model aggregates demand from its members, made up of diverse corporate customers, and converts it into long-term SAF certificate (SAFc) purchase agreements. By providing predictable, multi-year revenue, these agreements help investors underwrite new production and offer a replicable blueprint for how corporate climate leadership can drive SAF development at scale.
All SAFc procured through SABA adhere to rigorous sustainability requirements, including high lifecycle emissions reductions and alignment with established carbon accounting frameworks. This enables participating companies to make credible emissions claims while directing capital toward fuels with meaningful climate impact.
As contracting progresses with corporate buyers, SABA’s next-generation procurement is expected to catalyze additional participation and secure the volumes needed to support Project Atlas reaching FID. Looking beyond the impact of a single project, the broader significance is proving that collective procurement can overcome structural barriers to advanced SAF, accelerating the deployment of technologies required for net-zero aviation.
SAF & Aviation Decarbonisation Technology Innovator
Finalist: IC-Aerospace Group
SAF/HEDF (High - Energy - Density Fuels) - high-energy fuels with a high energy density. These synthetic fuels are capable of storing large amounts of energy per unit mass or volume due to hydrocarbons with strained cyclic systems, which improves efficiency and performance.
Unlike conventional refined fuels (Jet A-1 and SAF), which consist of linear and monocyclic hydrocarbons, the synthetic ICAG Green Jet (SAF/HEDF) consists of polycyclic hydrocarbons, which provide high density and volumetric energy.
The increased energy density of ICAG Green Jet (SAF/HEDF) fuel provides:
High specific impulse, allows aircraft to achieve greater thrust and lower specific fuel consumption (SFC).
The ability to reduce the payload-to-fuel ratio, which increases payload capacity or range. This is especially relevant on long-duration missions, where fuel efficiency and optimization are critical to mission success.
With decades of practical experience in producing hydrocarbon fuels for space-faring rockets and world-record-setting aircraft, and using the latest cyclone and catalytic membrane technologies, we have developed the most environmentally friendly and energy-efficient aviation fuel, ICAG Green Jet (SAF/HEDF), compliant with ASTM D1655 and ASTM D7566 standards.
It reduces specific fuel consumption (SFC) by up to 30% and harmful gas emissions (CO2, CO, SO2, smoke) by up to a factor of seven compared with Jet A-1 and all known SAFs (ASTM D7566).
Comparative analysis data obtained during qualification tests using various aircraft engines, in terms of percentage differences in SFC, CO2 and CO when using other alternative fuels (SAFs) compared with base fuels Jet A-1 or JP-8, have consistently shown no significant differences.
One of the main advantages of the technology used is the complete atomic–molecular segregation of the hydrocarbon feedstock, followed by the creation of the optimal atomic–molecular composition of ICAG Green Jet (SAF/HEDF) aviation fuel.
To achieve this unique result, ICAG Green Jet (SAF/HEDF) must have a specific atomic–molecular chemical composition, namely (vol. %): naphthenes 85–88, paraffins 10–12, monocyclic aromatics 2–3.
We currently use catalytic membrane technology and catalytic membrane reactors to achieve the above-mentioned atomic and molecular chemical composition.
Co-processing (ASTM D1655 Annex A1) using vegetable oils, animal fats, waste vegetable oils from biomass, and/or carbon dioxide (CO2) processed from petroleum as feedstock is economically and technologically optimal.
The carbon dioxide (CO2) used as a feedstock component for ICAG Green Jet (SAF/HEDF) production can be obtained using Membrane Direct Air Capture (m-DAC) technology and/or from carbon dioxide (CO2) intended for underground storage in CCUS projects.
A brief calculation of the environmental and economic efficiency of using ICAG Green Jet (SAF/HEDF), using a Boeing 787-10 as an example:
For a flight over the maximum distance (11,910 km), the consumption of ICAG Green Jet (SAF/HEDF) is 49 tonnes lower than that of Jet A-1.
The maximum range with a full ICAG Green Jet (SAF/HEDF) fuel load is 15,480 km, which is 3,570 km more than with Jet A-1. For more information, please visit our website: http://greenjet.space.
Startup to Watch
Finalist: ClimaHtech Green Flight
As aviation accelerates towards net zero, one of the sector’s most urgent challenges remains clear: how to produce enough Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), quickly, affordably, and close to where it is needed.
ClimaHtech Green Flight, a subsidiary of CATAGEN, has been created to answer that challenge. Built on CATAGEN’s engineering heritage and patented electrically driven reactor technology, ClimaHtech Green Flight has developed a faster, scalable pathway to ultra-low carbon Advanced Bio-SAF (generation 2) and E-SAF (generation 3) production through modular, decentralised systems.
At the heart of its approach is E-FUEL GEN, a breakthrough technology designed to produce SAF using renewable hydrogen and sustainable carbon dioxide, and when paired with CATAGEN's BIOHGEN technology, enables the production of Advanced Bio-SAF from wastes and biomass. Unlike conventional SAF production models, which often depend on large, centralised infrastructure and long development timelines, ClimaHtech Green Flight’s model is designed for modular deployment at smaller, replicable sites located close to renewable power, feedstocks and aviation demand. It is engineered to align with the ASTM Annex A1 FT-SPK pathway for SAF certification and uses the 200,000 hours of runtime from CATAGEN's e-reactor to provide robust, resilient SAF production.
Its modular architecture is designed for plants producing up to 10 million litres per year, produced using CATAGEN’s e-reactor technology. This avoids the consumption of feedstock gases for heat, increasing carbon utilisation and feedstock efficiency, enabling regional SAF production and reducing reliance on complex international fuel supply chains and electrical grid infrastructure. This approach can unlock renewable energy sites that are not suited to conventional fuel production (utilising sites below 2MW nameplate capacity) turning distributed clean energy into sustainable aviation fuel. ClimaHtech Green Flight’s production shows particular benefits in electrically reforming sustainable feedstocks and the electrification of the Reverse Water Gas Shift reaction, two critical stages for production of SAF on the FT-SPK pathway.
ClimaHtech Green Flight has secured offtake partnerships with Shell Aviation Ireland (MJV) and Ryanair, demonstrating demand across both the fuel supply chain and airline sectors. Announcement of further agreements is expected this year to complement the ongoing development of a first-of-a-kind project, showcasing how decentralised SAF production can be positioned beside renewable energy and aviation infrastructure.
This technology is also attracting attention across the international SAF ecosystem. ClimaHtech Green Flight has engaged with airlines across the UK, Europe, North America and the Middle East participated in high-profile industry forums, was the first company to submit a SAF sample to the EU SAF Clearing House, and actively contributes to policy discussions in multiple jurisdictions. It has also been recognised by TechNation Future Fifty, WIRED Trailblazer 2025 and Lux Research.
For airlines, airports, fuel suppliers, renewable energy developers and investors, ClimaHtech Green Flight represents a new way to think about SAF: not as a distant mega-project, but as a decentralised, deployable, regional and scalable solution.
The runway to net zero needs new infrastructure, new partnerships and new thinking. ClimaHtech Green Flight is building all three. Learn more at climahtechgreenflight.co.uk.
Finalist: SKY Renewables
For low carbon liquid fuel projects to be viable and bankable, project sponsors must secure feedstocks, use viable technologies and credible EPCs; and sign up credible off-takers. These are the fundamentals of any bioenergy project.
LCLF proponents rarely produce crops and generate agricultural waste. Some may be processors of crops based on short to medium-term contracts, but they fundamentally do not own the crops and land; farmers and producers do. Most projects of scale require large numbers of real producers who each have their own interest to look after on a daily basis. There is also always a competitive value for the targeted crop which sponsors have to beat constantly.
Feedstock needs to be secured for a long enough term to repay the project debt and provide investors with their target returns. It also needs to be for a fixed price and quantity; and with acceptable carbon intensity levels. Without qualified feedstock, there can be no project. Several HEFA-based projects utilising used cooking oil are already seeing their profits significantly eroded because of the lack of fixed-priced feedstock by nature.
SKY Renewables started its bioenergy journey in the Burdekin district of Queensland in 2017. The Burdekin produces one-quarter of Queensland’s 32 million tons of annual sugarcane production. We spent the 8 years until 2025 to get to securing long-term and fixed price feedstock from over 500 producers who farm farms ranging from 6,000 to 500,000 hectares. The Burdekin still burns its sugarcane fields before harvesting because it is 100% irrigated by underground water, meaning the paddocks have to be cleared after harvesting. Our feedstock is the tops-and-trash (green and dried leaves) which is being burnt today.
We are utilising a waste feedstock of the lowest carbon intensity, reducing 3 million tons of CO2e at the get-go by avoiding burning; and able to attract producers to commit to supply contracts of fifteen or more years for tops-and-trash. The price point is very attractive, and we offer opportunities for producers to make “contribution-in-kind” to earn equity to align long-term interests.
With the success in working with Burdekin growers, we started another project in Queensland’s Central Highlands with large cotton producers. They have commenced growing sugar beet as a winter rotational crop to complement cotton in the summer. The thick juice processed from sugar beet is used as feedstock to produce bioethanol and ultimately SAF. Revenue from sugar beet is comparable to cotton and 100% incremental to producers there. There is no infrastructure in the region for sugar production and no competitive use of the crop. We are therefore able to lock in long-term supply based on a fixed price.
From securing feedstock, we progressed to signing technology partnerships with the world’s leading Alcohol-to-Jet and Fischer-Tropsch technology providers. We will have completed feasibilities for both our projects in the Burdekin and Central Highlands as this article goes to press. Each of them has a SAF production capacity of 100,000 tons/year. Both projects are highly scalable with the same feedstocks in Queensland and Australia.
Finalist: Ki Hydrogen
Solving eSAF's Feedstock Problem at the Source
The efuels industry has a supply chain problem. eSAF producers need green hydrogen and biogenic CO₂ in a fixed ratio for Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis or similar processes, yet today they must source these feedstocks separately, expensively, and face product purity challenges. These feedstocks can contribute 50–70% of the levelised cost of eSAF production, and it is that largest cost lever that Ki Hydrogen is tackling.
Our proprietary biomass electrolysis process is the only technology in the world that co-produces both critical eSAF feedstocks — green hydrogen and biogenic CO₂ — in a single, integrated, low-temperature, fully electrified system from abundant biomass residues. No separate capture step. No downstream gas separation. Both gases are produced as pure, separate streams at fossil cost-parity at the ratios required for downstream eSAF production.
Conventional water electrolysis consumes 45–50 kWh/kgH₂, contributing to the majority of the cost of producing hydrogen. We have demonstrated our biomass electrolysis process producing hydrogen at only 25 kWh/kgH₂ by replacing the energy-intensive oxygen evolution reaction with the electrochemical breakdown of lignocellulosic biomass, such as wood waste, agricultural residues, and industrial side-streams.
Rather than producing oxygen which is often vented, our process produces pure biogenic CO₂ as a valuable co-product. We leverage PEM architecture, but require no iridium, since that is only needed for the oxygen-generating step. Unlike gasification or pyrolysis, our purely electrochemical process operates at below 100°C, producing no tar, no ash, and no syngas cleanup challenges — delivering clean, separated product streams directly.
Ki Hydrogen has signed Letters of Intent (LOIs) with leading efuel producers in Europe, representing close to €10 million annually in offtake of our hydrogen and CO₂. We are currently building our tonne-scale industrial pilot in the UK, advancing towards TRL 6, and are in discussions for further demonstration projects in Europe.
Biomass electrolysis provides a single-source solution for eSAF producers: co-located, continuous supply of both feedstocks at the required ratio and at fossil cost-parity, from non-food biomass that would otherwise be discarded or go to low-value uses.
Project Partner Award
Finalist: Clifford Chance
Clifford Chance: supporting the global scale‑up of sustainable aviation fuel
Clifford Chance is at the forefront of the global transition to low‑carbon fuels, advising across the full range of green fuels supporting the energy transition, including sustainable aviation fuels, biogas, biofuels, synthetic e‑fuels, methanol and green ammonia. As a full‑service global law firm, we support clients across every stage of the SAF value chain – from early‑stage development and regulatory strategy through to complex project financing, construction, offtake structuring and cross‑border investment.
Our depth of cutting‑edge global experience enables us to offer up‑to‑date market insight and advise on the issues that matter most to developers, co‑investors and financiers, particularly on complex, first‑of‑a‑kind projects. Wehave advised on the first project financed SAF projects and are actively working on and investing in SAF, biofuels and e‑fuels projects worldwide, ensuring our teams combine legal excellence with a practical understanding of the technical, regulatory, policy and commercial challenges these projects face.
Clifford Chance has advised on many of the world’s most advanced and landmark SAF developments. These include:
SkyNRG DSL-01, Netherlands: advising SkyNRG on their DSL-01 facility - Europe’s first greenfield dedicated SAF production facility and the first greenfield SAF project to secure non‑recourse commercial bank financing (ongoing);
Grandpuits, France: advising the lenders on the project financing of TotalEnergies and SARIA’s Grandpuits HEFA SAF facility in France;
SAFCO, Pakistan: Advising ADB and IFC on the financing of Asia Pacific’s first SAF project financing for SAFCO Ventures Shaikupura SAF project in Pakistan;
Green Sky Capital, Egypt: Advising the lenders on the project financing of the SAFFly Egypt SAF facility, the first project financing of a SAF facility in North Africa;
Gevo NZ-1, USA: advising the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office on its US$1.46 billion conditional commitment to finance Gevo's NZ‑1 facility in the USA; and
SkyNRG SkyKraft, Sweden (ongoing): continuing to adviseSkyNRG on the development of SkyKraft’s 100 ktpa eSAF facility in Sweden, including on offtake structuring and biogenic CO₂ procurement.
Further mandates include SAF projects in Uruguay, Brazil and the UAE.
Regulatory insight is a core strength. As governments worldwide develop incentives and policy frameworks to accelerate SAF, e‑fuels and green ammonia, our leading regulatory specialists work closely with authorities and monitor evolving regimes to provide clear, commercially grounded guidance.
Behind each transaction sits a fully integrated, multi‑disciplinaryteamable to combine years of experience to collectively provide structuring, project finance, M&A, construction, real estate, regulation and offtake. Our global network across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Americas and the Middle East allows us to deliver seamless advice wherever projects are developed.
Through project delivery, thought leadership and regular engagement at SAF and wider energy transition industry events, Clifford Chance helps unlock investment, de‑risk new technologies and establish replicable models for commercial‑scale SAF deployment. As the market accelerates, we remain committed to helping clients move from ambition to implementation.
Finalist: Ekinetix
Ekinetix has been shortlisted for the Sustainable Aviation Futures Trailblazer Awards (SAFTAs) in the Project Partner Award category for its role in supporting Amsterdam Airport Schiphol’s ambition to introduce hydrogen into daily ground operations. The projects were delivered by Ekinetix for Schiphol and relate to Schiphol’s broader role within the EU-funded TULIPS program.
The nomination centers on two connected projects: the implementation of the world’s first hydrogen-powered Ground Power Unit (H₂GPU) and mobile platform fueling, and the delivery of a stationary on-site hydrogen refueling station supporting multiple hydrogen vehicles in daily airport use.
Introducing hydrogen at an airport means operating in a safety-critical, highly regulated, 24/7 environment. Success depends not only on technology, but also on sound integration, risk management, stakeholder alignment and operational reliability.
Ekinetix acted as end-to-end project partner across both initiatives, covering engineering, vendor selection, system integration, refueling-station layout, safety studies, emergency response planning, permitting support and hydrogen logistics. In doing so, it helped turn Schiphol’s ambition into a workable scalable hydrogen ecosystem for daily use.
The temporary refueling station supported several hydrogen-powered assets, including a hydrogen aircraft tractor, a Toyota pick-up truck and the H₂GPU. Because airport staff used the system under real operating conditions, it generated practical insights for future scale-up.
A key achievement was translating hydrogen safety frameworks into workable airport procedures through close coordination with Schiphol, authorities and emergency services.
The H₂GPU project marked a global first by replacing conventional diesel GPUs with a hydrogen-powered alternative that cuts local emissions while meeting the reliability demands of aircraft ground handling. Together with the refueling infrastructure, it demonstrated a credible route to zero-emission ground operations.
Beyond technical delivery, the projects helped build confidence in hydrogen within aviation operations. By moving beyond a short-term trial, they generated operational experience and data that support wider adoption and align with the broader objectives of the European TULIPS programme.
Jaco Reijerkerk, Commercial Director at Ekinetix, says the significance of the Schiphol projects lies in combining visionary client leadership with practical delivery. “We are proud to have worked for Schiphol on these pioneering projects and to help turn their ambition into operational reality,” he says. “Schiphol created the space to lead and innovate. Our role was to make that ambition workable in practice — safely, reliably and in a form that others in the sector can learn from.”
Ekinetix’s SAFTA nomination highlights the importance of strong project partnership in aviation decarbonization. It reflects Schiphol’s willingness to lead and the value of a partner able to translate ambition into safe, effective daily operations.
As airports explore pathways to net-zero operations, the Schiphol projects show that hydrogen can already be implemented safely and credibly in demanding real-world conditions. Within a broader mix of solutions, it is a strong option for applications where it offers the best overall fit.
Finalist: EY SpA
Shaping the future of sustainable fuels with strategic consultancy
The global energy sector is undergoing a profound transformation, as companies traditionally focused on fossil refining and conventional trading shift toward low-carbon solutions, advanced biofuels and Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), reshaping technologies, feedstock strategies and operating models. Scaling SAF and advanced biofuels remain structurally complex. Multi-jurisdictional supply chains, diverse sustainability schemes and heterogeneous GHG accounting approaches operate on partially integrated infrastructure, requiring tight coordination between physical flows, sustainability attributes and commercial transactions.
EY role along the supply chain
Within this landscape, EY plays a central role in enabling trust, traceability and credible execution across the biofuels and SAF value chain. Leveraging a truly global platform and dedicated sustainable fuels expertise, EY supports stakeholders worldwide in translating regulatory ambition into resilient, audit‑ready operating models.
Scaling SAF requires more than technology and incentives. It depends on strong governance, consistent GHG accounting, high‑integrity data and operational processes capable of withstanding scrutiny along the entire feedstock‑to‑engine pathway. EY integrates regulatory interpretation, sustainability requirements and day‑to‑day operations to align physical supply chains, sustainability attributes and commercial transactions.
By mobilising multidisciplinary expertise across geographies, EY helps companies and institutions overcome technical and organisational barriers, navigate complex certification and traceability regimes, and build supply chains that are robust, scalable and credible. This integrated approach strengthens market confidence, reduces sustainability and compliance risk, and supports the long‑term maturation of biofuels and SAF markets globally.
Customized sustainable fuels solutions across the biofuels value chain
As biofuels and SAF scale from ambition to deployment, credibility and execution capability will define market leaders. By combining global scale, sector expertise and hands‑on delivery, EY helps transform complexity into resilient, scalable value chains—enabling sustainable fuels to become a durable pillar of the energy transition.
Policy & regulatory advisory: We support clients in navigating European and international frameworks such as RED III, ReFuelEU Aviation, CORSIA, ETS, CBAM and EUDR. Our advisory covers regulatory monitoring, feedstock and SAF compliance, voluntary and regulatory emission markets (Scope 1–3, Book & Claim), and chemical and HSE requirements including REACH and CLP.
Strategy and business case development: We support SAF and biofuels strategies from market entry to scale‑up. Our work includes business case development, global feedstock assessment, technology screening and access to renewable energy pathways, supported by integrated financial modelling to assess costs, revenues, incentives and policy impacts
Financing & investment structuring: We advise on equity and debt raising and project finance structuring for SAF and biofuels projects. Our support includes access to subsidies, tax credits and incentive schemes, design of public support mechanisms, and cost‑benefit analysis to optimise project economics and investment structures.
M&A / CDD / DD consulting support: We provide regulatory, technical and financial due diligence for M&A transactions and partnerships across the biofuels and SAF sector. Our services include assessment of scalability, supply‑chain and infrastructure readiness, CAPEX/OPEX, synergies and alignment with certification and sustainability schemes.
Certifications & operative support: We design and implement biofuel management systems aligned with ISCC, 2BSvs and RSB schemes. Our support covers documentation, training, operational compliance, mass‑balance management, sustainability declarations, internal and supplier audits, and digital solutions for traceability and GHG/LCA reporting.
Infrastructure & production feasibility: We conduct technical and economic feasibility studies across biofuel and SAF production pathways, asset repurposing and logistics optimisation. Our work spans storage, blending and distribution networks, operating model design, pilot projects and scale-up roadmaps in partnership with global technology providers.
Finalist: Infinium
Building the Blueprint: Infinium and the Project Roadrunner SAF Offtake Partnership
The market for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) continues to expand globally as policy initiatives and voluntary corporate commitments drive increasing demand for low-carbon aviation solutions. Yet despite this momentum, SAF still represents only approximately 1% of total global aviation fuel supply today. Bridging this gap will require innovation not only in technology, but also in how SAF projects are commercially structured, financed, and brought to market.
Meaningfully scaling SAF production requires building projects that are attractive to long-term infrastructure and project finance investors. Achieving this involves multiple layers of confidence and risk reduction across the value chain from proven technology and execution capability to feedstock availability and, critically, long-term offtake certainty. Without durable commercial structures that provide predictable returns, many SAF projects will struggle to secure the capital necessary to move from development into construction and operation.
At the same time, the aviation fuel market is a mature and highly established industry with longstanding norms around contracting structures, procurement, and commodity pricing. Integrating emerging SAF projects into this ecosystem requires a shift in how aviation fuel agreements are structured to support capital-intensive infrastructure investment. Long-term offtake agreements with pricing certainty are increasingly becoming a critical component in enabling project financing and supporting investor confidence.
Infinium’s Project Roadrunner partnership with American Airlines, and Citi demonstrates how collaboration across the value chain can unlock the commercial structures needed to accelerate SAF deployment at scale. At the center of the partnership is a financing-aligned commercial framework built around long-term offtake certainty and the thoughtful allocation of price risk across multiple parties, ensuring that no single stakeholder bears the full burden of the SAF green premium.
Under the partnership, Project Roadrunner entered into a long-term SAF offtake agreement with American Airlines, structured to align with both financing requirements and broader sustainability objectives. American Airlines then collaborated with Citi on a complementary structure that helped support monetization of Scope 3 emissions, advancing Citi’s own decarbonization goals.
By aligning long-term demand, financing considerations, sustainability objectives, and project development early in the process, the parties created a model in which both risk and value are shared across participants. Airlines secure access to future low-carbon fuel volumes while advancing decarbonization commitments. Producers gain the commercial certainty required to justify investment in large-scale infrastructure. Financial institutions gain confidence that projects are supported by durable demand and credible counterparties.
Just as importantly, partnerships like Project Roadrunner create momentum across the broader SAF ecosystem. They demonstrate to policymakers, investors, and industry participants that scalable commercialization pathways are emerging that can help accelerate SAF deployment globally.
The significance of this approach extends far beyond a single project. Scaling SAF will require repeatable partnership models that connect producers, airlines, financial institutions, and policymakers into coordinated ecosystems capable of supporting long-term investment and infrastructure development. Aviation decarbonization cannot be solved by any one stakeholder acting independently — it will require collaboration across the entire value chain.