Sustainability In The Air

In this episode, Dirk Singer speaks with Meg Gentle, Executive Director at HIF Global, about how synthetic fuels and waste-based pathways could reshape the economics of sustainable aviation fuel.Gentle discusses:Why Chile’s exceptional wind resources made it the starting point for HIF’s first e-fuels facility, and how that model is now being replicated globallyHow e-fuels are produced by combining green hydrogen with captured CO2 to create transportable liquid fuels like methanol and jet fuelWhy HIF Global is pursuing two SAF pathways in parallel: e-methanol-to-jet for Europe and RNG-based SAF for the USHow waste-based fuels, particularly those derived from methane emissions, can achieve very low or even negative carbon intensityWhy the real bottleneck to scaling SAF is not technology or capital, but long-term policy certainty and “early mover protection”How SAF markets could evolve toward a carbon intensity-based pricing model, where fuels compete on dollars per tonne of CO2 abated rather than feedstock or pathwayIf you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with James Hygate, CEO of Firefly Green Fuels, who discusses the company’s novel approach that turns sewage into jet fuel. Check it out here. Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.Links & More:HIF GlobalHIF Haru Oni: The first operating e-Fuels facility in the world - HIF Global  HIF Global and eFuel One ink deal for gigawatt-scale green hydrogen and methanol project in Uruguay - Fuel Cells Works HIF Global to provide green hydrogen-based fuels for tourists in southern Chile and Antarctica this summer - Hydrogen Insight 

In this episode, we speak with Steven Fitzgerald, Director of Sustainability and Finance at Ryanair, who shares how Europe's largest low-cost carrier is navigating the tension between aggressive growth targets and decarbonisation commitments.Fitzgerald discusses:Ryanair's early SAF commitment before mandates existed: Why the airline set a 12.5% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) target for 2030 five years ago, and how they've now secured access to 80% of that volume.The true cost of ETS compliance: How Ryanair expects to spend between €1.4 and €1.5 billion next year complying with the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and SAF mandates, and why the geographic patchwork of carbon pricing creates competitive distortions that policy needs to address.Investing in pre-certification research: The €4 million partnership with Trinity College Dublin, funding pre-certification screening tools that can predict SAF viscosity and density using just one gram of fuel, de-risking the approval process for new pathways and accelerating 2G and 3G SAF development.The untapped FEETS mechanism opportunity: Why only a small share of the 20 million SAF-ETS allowances has been claimed, how 3G SAF purchases can receive 95% of the price differential back, and why extending FEETS to 2040 could accelerate SAF production.Building a SAF supplier ecosystem: The three criteria Ryanair uses when selecting partners: credibility (a proven track record in renewable fuels), scale (alignment with Ryanair’s route network) and ambition (commitment to advanced SAF pathways beyond first-generation supply). If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Nina Marczell, SVP Industrial Sales & Marketing for Fuels & Feedstock at OMV, about how the integrated energy company is leading Europe's SAF development from early production to commercial scale. Check it out here. Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.Links & More:Sustainability - Ryanair Ryanair Sustainable Aviation Research Centre - Trinity College Dublin Ryanair outlines runway to net zero in sustainability report - Sustainability Online Catagen launches ClimaHtech Green Flight with landmark SAF deal - SimpliFlying 

Kyle Clark, Founder and CEO of BETA Technologies, builds electric aircraft, batteries and chargers for military, medical and cargo use. He discusses why vertical integration is essential, how electric propulsion and aerodynamics unlock range, and the CTOL-first certification path. He also covers charging infrastructure as a standalone business and BETA’s team-member, equity-driven culture.

In this episode, we speak with Philipp Furler, Founder and CEO of Synhelion, who shares how the Swiss technology company is working to scale synthetic fuels by tackling some of the fundamental cost and infrastructure barriers facing SAF today.Furler discusses:The path to $1/litre production costs: How Synhelion targets production costs of around $1 per litre within 10-15 years through three key advantages: cheap solar energy with thermal storage enabling 24/7 operation, avoiding electrolysis and green hydrogen entirely, and achieving over 90% energy conversion efficiency.From fuel producer to technology licensor: How Synhelion plans to demonstrate business case viability by developing projects, building plants, and selling fuel up to 30,000 tons annually by 2030, then transitioning to a project developer and technology licensing model.Multi-product revenue streams reduce risk: Why producing not just 70% SAF but also diesel, naphtha, and gasoline creates multiple revenue streams, enabling customer partnerships and market momentum to support scale-up.Seamless integration with existing refineries: How Synhelion supplies synthetic crude oil directly into refineries in the Lufthansa and Swiss network where it’s co-processed with fossil crude in a mass-balanced system, demonstrating that decarbonisation requires only building new production plants, not rebuilding downstream infrastructure.If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Tim Boeltken, Founder and Managing Director at INERATEC, who shares insights into the company’s modular technology platform and the potential of e-fuels to revolutionise the future of SAF. Check it out here. Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.Links & More:SynhelionSustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) – a renewable synthetic fuel - Synhelion German firm Synhelion opens ‘world’s 1st’ industrial solar fuel plant - Interesting Engineering SWISS integrates first supplies of Synhelion solar SAF into flight operations - GreenAir News  

In this episode, we speak with Sabrina Tekle Krarup Jensen, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at Copenhagen Airports A/S (CPH), who shares how the airport is navigating some of aviation’s most complex sustainability challenges.Jensen discusses:CPH’s unique role as neutral facilitator: How the airport leverages its position outside the commercial fuel supply chain to support multiple SAF projects, and connect stakeholders across the entire aviation value chain.The eSAF financing gap challenge: Why eSAF prices remain 8-10 times higher than Jet A-1, preventing offtakers from signing the long-term agreements producers need to scale, and why regulatory intervention may be necessary to bridge this gap.Proven SAF impact on local air quality: Results from the ALIGHT project measurement campaign showing 40% SAF achieved a 30% reduction in ultrafine particle emissions.Denmark’s green domestic route: How Norwegian Air Lines will launch the country’s first green domestic route in March 2026 using 40% SAF.Battery energy storage system and electrification: Implementation of a battery system to store renewable energy and manage power spikes from electric ground support equipment and future electric aircraft charging.Real-world fuel variability research: The FuelTrack campaign with German Aerospace Centre and SAS that links specific fuel chemistry (aromatics and sulphur content) directly to tailpipe emissions.Airport-to-airport collaboration on innovation: CPH’s partnership with Schiphol Airport pooling resources on local air quality challenges.If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Anko van der Werff, President & CEO of Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), who shares the airline’s plans to lead the charge in sustainable aviation. Check it out here. Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.Links & More:Sustainability - Copenhagen Airports Groundbreaking study linking jet fuel properties to aircraft emissions - CPHCopenhagen Airport installs large battery for green energy storage - CPH ALIGHT project  

In this episode, Dirk Singer speaks with James Hygate, Founder and CEO of Firefly Green Fuels, about one of the more unconventional and potentially scalable sustainable aviation fuel pathways: converting sewage biosolids into jet fuel.Hygate discusses: Why Firefly is “feedstock-led”, and why that matters more than the technologyHow sewage biosolids emerged as the preferred feedstock for Firefly due to their abundance, consistency, and increasing difficulty of disposal.How hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) works like “a pressure cooker” to turn sewage into biocrude and biochar Why Firefly believes its fuel could achieve over 90% lifecycle CO2 savings, potentially even becoming carbon-negativeHow sewage-to-SAF could scale in the UK  and why it could “come from left field” in mandate mathsWhat is required for SAF projects to be bankable including long-term feedstock supply and offtake agreementsHow sewage-based SAF can reach cost parity with Jet AIf you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Dr Mar Fernández-Méndez, Co-founder of MacroCarbon, who shares how the startup plans to turn seaweed into SAF. Check it out here. Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.Links & More:Firefly Green FuelsWhat & How - FireflyPoop-powered planes: Could jet fuel made from sewage take off? - CNNWizz Air and Firefly collaborate on turning human waste into SAF - Biofuels International Magazine 

In this episode, we speak with Adam Klauber, Chief Sustainability Officer at World Energy, who has been at the forefront of developing book and claim mechanisms for sustainable aviation fuel since its earliest days.He discusses:The co-claims approach: Why aviation needed to diverge from renewable electricity market models by enabling both airlines (scope 1) and their corporate customers (scope 3) to claim emissions reductions from the same SAF molecules, unlocking new sources of funding.What it took to get early deals done: How some of the earliest SAF buyers like Microsoft moved before the supporting infrastructure was fully in place, including clear registries and standardised accounting rules, and why that early willingness mattered.Insetting vs offsetting: The moral hazard of buying cheap offsets outside aviation, and how insetting addresses this while maintaining economic efficiency.Making SAF contracts “bankable”: How long-term commitments from credible corporate buyers can help producers secure debt capital at lower interest rates, thereby lowering financing costs and easing the SAF price premium over time.Building market infrastructure that benefits the whole sector: Why World Energy deliberately builds frameworks that benefit competitors, recognising that growing the overall SAF market serves everyone’s interests and that no single company wins with only a trickle of supply.If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Gene Gebolys, founder and CEO of World Energy, who delves into the intricacies and future of SAF. Check it out here. Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.Links & More:World EnergyBlueprints for Bankability - RMI Re-thinking the blueprint for financing SAF - SimpliFlyingEfficient, effective decarbonization with carbon insets - World Energy  

In this episode, we speak with Rachel Gardner-Poole, GAIN steering group chair and sustainable aviation consultant at NATS, the UK’s leading air traffic control provider. Gardner-Poole shares how GAIN (Green Aviation Insights Network) is bringing together air navigation service providers from around the world to optimise flight paths and reduce emissions using tools and insights that can deliver results today. She discusses:GAIN’s dual purpose: A global collaboration of air navigation service providers (ANSPs) and a dashboard tool that measures airspace efficiency, enabling ANSPs to identify inefficiencies, benchmark performance by airline and route, and track CO2 emissions in real time.Why airspace efficiency matters now: Whilst SAF faces supply constraints and hydrogen aircraft remain years away, airspace optimisation can deliver immediate carbon savings. Breaking down communication barriers: How misaligned assumptions between airlines and air traffic controllers often lead to suboptimal flight paths, and how GAIN’s data visualisation enables targeted conversations to unlock tactical savings.The founding members’ impact: With five founding members helping shape the tool, GAIN could save over 450,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.Addressing greenwashing concerns: Unlike complex carbon credit schemes or predictive modelling, GAIN uses real, verifiable flight path data.Future expansion plans: The goal is to reach 40% of the world’s 160 ANSPs by 2030, with potential features including non-CO2 effects like contrails, and partnerships with organisations across the aviation sector.If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Sian Andrews, SESAR Environmental Lead at NATS, who shares how air traffic management can reduce aviation’s environmental impact. Check it out here. Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.Links & More:NATS Green Aviation Insights (GAIN) - NATS NATS and leading ANSPs unite to drive sustainable aviation through a novel data-driven insights tool - CANSONATS environmental initiative GAIN-ing momentum - Aviation Week Network  

In a year-end review, industry leaders share insights on sustainable aviation in 2025. Heathrow's Matt Gorman reveals how landing charges drive Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) adoption, while Vancouver aims for net-zero by 2030. Swedavia boasts fossil-free operations, highlighting Sweden's SAF incentives. Aaron Robinson discusses cultural barriers to SAF uptake, and Matthew Ridley presents a $150 million fund for next-gen SAF technologies. Innovative solutions include biogas-to-SAF conversion and modular e-fuels, while discussions on electric aircraft hint at new operational capabilities.

In this episode, we speak with Nanna Baldvinsdottir, co-founder of IðunnH2, about how Iceland’s unique energy system could turn the country into a green fuel bridge between Europe and North America. A veteran of Iceland’s power sector, Nanna has spent two decades working in renewables before turning to hydrogen and e-fuels development.Nanna shares how IðunnH2 is developing a 300 MW, ~70,000 tonne-per-year e-SAF project near Keflavík International Airport, designed first to decarbonise Icelandic aviation and only then supply the wider world via book-and-claim. She explains why social licence for new wind power, local energy security, and predictable permitting make Iceland a testbed for scaling e-fuels where other regions are still stuck on the drawing board.Nanna discusses:Why SAF, not hydrogen export, came out on top in IðunnH2’s feasibility work – and how switching mid-study unlocked a path to true commercial scale rather than niche pilot projects.The Helguvík project: locating a commercial-scale e-kerosene facility a stone’s throw from Iceland’s main international airport, using 100% renewable power contracted via long-term PPAs.Book-and-claim as a strategic tool: using it to serve committed early partners like Luxaviation and other motivated buyers outside Iceland, while keeping the bulk of production for Icelandic decarbonisation.Moving beyond “Jet A price parity”: why chasing price parity with fossil jet fuel misses the point since jet fuel is heavily subsidised and untaxed, and how 15-year price stability can be more valuable to airlines than simply being the cheapest.Her role as a “system builder”: why e-fuel plants are far more complex than traditional power projects, and what it takes to keep partners aligned on timelines, risk, margins, and ambition.The wider Icelandic hydrogen roadmap: how aviation, maritime, and road transport could all draw on the same hydrogen and e-fuels backbone as the market matures.Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book “Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2.” Click here to learn more.Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.Links & more:IðunnH2Why Iceland? - IðunnH2SAF – IðunnH2Hydrogen and E-fuels Roadmap for IcelandNanna Baldvinsdottir - LinkedInEU ReFuelEU Aviation Mandate