What does it take to scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)? On a recent episode of SAF Investor’s The SAF Podcast, Conor Madigan, Founder of Aether Fuels, breaks down how Aether’s Aurora platform, built from GTI Energy's gas-to-liquid technology, reengineers traditional processes to improve efficiency and reduce costs. The result is up to 50% lower capital costs and 20% higher yields. We are proud to collaborate with Aether Fuels on innovative approaches for developing low-emission solutions that fuel economies. 🎧Tune in here: https://lnkd.in/eyUPsSxP
Conor Madigan, co-founder of Aether Fuels, joins Oscar Henderson on this week's episode of The SAF Podcast. Madigan shares his journey from founding a successful OLED manufacturing equipment company to pioneering a transformative approach to SAF technology through Aether's Aurora solution. At the heart of our conversation is Aether Fuels' Aurora technology, developed with GTI Energy, which reimagines the traditional Fischer-Tropsch process for sustainable fuel production. By focusing on the syngas generation and upgrading steps, their system achieves up to 50% capital cost reduction and 20% higher yields than conventional approaches. Conor expertly breaks down how their "tri-conversion" reactor and innovative catalysts simplify production while maximizing carbon utilisation. We also explore the evolving landscape of SAF offtake agreements, where Conor provides valuable insights into the tension between investors requiring long-term contracts and airlines traditionally accustomed to shorter fuel purchasing timeframes. His perspective on how creative deal structures are emerging to balance risk and opportunity illuminates a critical aspect of scaling sustainable fuels. Conor also provides a nuanced perspective on strategic investor selection, highlighting the importance of partners who bring deep market understanding beyond pure capital. We also look at how this is managed against a backdrop of higher policy uncertainty and how to adapt to work with less policy certainty. Make sure you find time to check this episode out on the commute to the office, cooking dinner or out for a run. https://lnkd.in/eyUPsSxP
