At ABLC 2025, significant discussions and presentations highlighted the progress, challenges, and future potential of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Here’s a summary of what was learned:

Growing Recognition of SAF’s Importance and Market Potential:

• SAF is increasingly recognized as crucial for decarbonizing the aviation sector, which is considered a “hard-to-abate” area of transportation.

• The story of feedstocks is inherently linked to the development and scaling of SAF production.

• The SAF market is projected to experience compelling growth rates, highlighting a significant economic opportunity.

• Airlines are demonstrating growing interest in SAF and, in some cases, are making commitments towards its adoption.

Diverse Feedstock Landscape for SAF Production:

• Discussions extensively covered the challenges and opportunities associated with various SAF feedstocks.

• The concept of utilizing “unloved” and abundant feedstocks like CO2 and various waste streams was highlighted as a potential pathway to greater feedstock security.

• Woody biomass, including forest thinnings and sawmill waste, was a significant focus, with several companies presenting technologies to convert it into fuels, potentially including SAF.

• Other potential feedstocks discussed included agricultural residues, waste ethanol from pulp mills, unrefined dextrose, microalgae, sugarcane bagasse, French fry rejects, bread waste, and cellulosic materials.

• Feedstock flexibility in SAF production processes is seen as a critical advantage for long-term sustainability and scalability.

Advancements in SAF Production Technologies:

• BioVeritas presented their “directed mixed culture fermentation” process, which can produce SAF blend stock (SPK) and SAF range intermediates from diverse feedstocks, including cellulosics, with the potential for cost parity with conventional Jet A.

• Sungas Renewables, using gasification technology, aims to produce syngas that can be converted into SAF, potentially leveraging woody biomass resources. Their partnership with Maersk (C2X) signifies a potential offtake market in sustainable marine fuels, which shares technology pathways with SAF.

• Haffner Energy’s thermolysis and gasification technology can process a wide array of biomass feedstocks into syngas, a versatile intermediate for producing SAF through pathways like Fischer-Tropsch or via ethanol conversion. Their focus on the North American market is driven by the availability of abundant biomass. They are also working with LanzaTech on an ethanol-to-SAF pathway.

• Terra Mater BV’s TM-SPK SAF demonstrated superior energy density and lower weight compared to conventional jet fuel, offering potential for significant fuel efficiency gains and emissions reductions. They are actively pursuing regulatory approvals and conducting testing with engine manufacturers.

• California Ethanol and Power (CE+P) is developing a large-scale (80 million gallon) SAF plant, indicating a commitment to increasing production capacity. They are also focused on integrating carbon capture and exploring electric biofuel production, which could further enhance the sustainability of their SAF.

• Global Bioenergies has achieved ASTM certification for their SAF production process based on renewable resources, allowing blending up to 50% with conventional jet fuel in all existing aircraft.

• Gevo continues to champion the Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) pathway for SAF, asserting its potential for the lowest production costs. They have achieved significant milestones, including multiple test flights and commercial offtake agreements for their ATJ SAF. They are also designing net-zero capable ATJ plants.

• Vertimass showcased their CADO process, which converts common alcohols into SAF, emphasizing economic viability and compatibility with existing fuel infrastructure.

• Johnson Matthey’s BioForm® SAK jet fuel has demonstrated its performance as a 100% drop-in SAF in multiple flights, meeting stringent ASTM D7566 standards.

• Aether Fuels is innovating the Fischer-Tropsch pathway for SAF production, aiming for economical and scalable solutions with broad feedstock flexibility through their Aurora technology.

• Iogen highlighted the potential of second-generation biofuels, produced from agricultural and forestry residues, as a crucial pathway to achieving net-zero emissions in aviation, especially when coupled with carbon capture and storage, offering potentially three times the GHG savings compared to other fuels.

Navigating Challenges and the Path to Commercialization:

• Scaling up production from pilot and demonstration stages to commercial volumes remains a significant hurdle for many SAF technologies.

• Feedstock availability, cost, and logistical challenges continue to be major considerations for SAF producers.

• Achieving cost competitiveness with conventional fossil jet fuel is essential for widespread adoption, and this often depends on supportive policies and incentives.

• The lengthy and complex process of obtaining regulatory approvals, such as ASTM certification for new SAF pathways, can be a significant time barrier.

• Many companies face the “valley of death” in securing the necessary funding and partnerships to transition from promising technologies to commercially viable operations.

Crucial Role of Policy and Incentives:

• Government policies and financial incentives, such as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and Production Tax Credits (PTC), are considered vital for de-risking investments and driving the economic viability of SAF projects.

• Efforts are underway to ensure SAF is included and benefits from these supportive policy frameworks.

• International policy collaborations and the establishment of global targets for sustainable molecules, similar to those for renewable power, are being advocated for to accelerate the adoption of SAF and other sustainable fuels.

Expert Perspectives on Woody Biomass for SAF:

• The Wolfpack session offered critical evaluations of various companies utilizing woody biomass for fuel production, some with the potential to produce SAF. Their assessments highlighted the importance of technology maturity, demonstrated scalability, realistic economic projections, and the credibility of company claims. While some technologies received more optimistic reviews, others faced skepticism regarding their commercial viability and scalability for SAF production.

ABLC 2025 showcased significant momentum and innovation in the sustainable aviation fuel sector. While technological advancements across various pathways and feedstocks are promising, overcoming challenges related to scaling production, feedstock availability, cost competitiveness, and navigating regulatory landscapes remains crucial. Supportive and consistent government policies and incentives are widely recognized as essential drivers for the widespread adoption and success of SAF in decarbonizing air travel. The discussions also underscored the interconnectedness of sustainable fuels across different transportation sectors, such as marine, suggesting a broader shift towards lower-carbon liquid fuels.