CATAGEN first to submit sustainable aviation fuel sample to EU SAF Clearing House

CATAGEN, a net-zero technologies company, has become the first to submit a sample of its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to the EU SAF Clearing House that Ricardo has helped establish.

SAF is a safe replacement for conventional fossil-based jet fuel and can be used in existing aeroplanes to significantly reduce emissions. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates SAF to account for approximately two thirds of aviation’s carbon mitigation in 2050, but reaching the target requires global production to reach 449 billion litres.

CATAGEN is developing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from wind, water and air (e-SAF) and from wind and sustainable organic waste (bio-SAF).  

Dr Andrew Woods, CATAGEN CEO and Founder, said “Our purpose is to clean and decarbonise the air and submitting our SAF sample to the EU SAF Clearing House gets us one step further on our roadmap to launching SAF from CATAGEN's pioneering ClimaHtech E-FUEL GEN production model. The machine can produce clean fuels like SAF and e-diesel from renewable hydrogen (from water, H2O) and sustainable carbon dioxide (from the air) and is powered by renewable electricity.  It presents a significant economic and decarbonisation opportunity.”

Dr Rui Neiva, Principal Consultant, Sustainable Transport at Ricardo and Programme Manager for the EU SAF Clearing House said: “The EU SAF Clearing House is now fully operational and has been supplied by CATAGEN with its first sustainable aviation fuel for testing.  Ricardo experts, together with our consortium partners and the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) are proud to be providing the technical advice, support and guidance required by fuel producers to bring their product to market safely and sustainably.”

EU SAF Clearing House

Like its counterparts in the US and UK, the EU SAF Clearing House supports the approval of new SAF pathways using the ASTM D4054 process: the recognised industry Standard Practice for evaluating new aviation fuels and additives by acting as a virtual forum for advice on data quality, testing facilities and qualification.

The intention is to provide advice and support to future SAF producers, reducing the high cost and complexity of certification. It is hoped that this will help rapidly increase production volumes and encourage diversification of feedstocks.

The EU SAF Clearing House will also provide sustainability services for prospective fuel producers and focus on nurturing a mature SAF supply chain in Europe, participating at technical events, advising on research and innovation, and promoting policy coherence.

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(L-R) Dr Mohammah Reza Ghaani, EU SAF Clearing House Prescreening Lead, Liam McGrane, ClimaHtech E-Fuel Technical Lead, Dr Andrea Ahern, ClimaHtech SAF Lead, CATAGEN, Dr Stephen Dooley, EU SAF Clearing House Director.} 

Read the full CATAGEN Press Release (external site)

Ricardo RQ profile: Clearing the path for Sustainable Aviation Fuels