Catagen launches SAF production company and signs offtakes with Ryanair and Shell

Northern Ireland-based clean energy engineering group Catagen has launched a dedicated subsidiary, ClimaHtech Green Flight (CGF), which will use a modular production system to manufacture sustainable aviation fuel near renewable energy sources or close to airports where the fuel will be used. It will produce SAF by using patented reactor technology, powered by off-grid renewable energy or low carbon electricity, to convert industrial waste to fuel. The Belfast company claims that by using off-grid electricity, SAF can be produced continuously, unaffected by fluctuations in grid-based power, while its modular infrastructure provides flexibility that cannot be offered by larger fixed-based production facilities. It has also announced strategic partnerships and offtake agreements with prominent launch customers Shell and Ryanair.

Catagen says ClimaHtech Green Flight is developing its new system to expedite delivery of SAF to market without delays caused by lengthy infrastructure construction times, extended approval processes or reliance on conventional electricity channels. It is this speed to market which has attracted both Shell and Ryanair to sign agreements. Catagen claims that last year it was the first to submit a SAF sample to the EU SAF Clearing House and is now progressing fast-track certification via the ASTM D7566 Annex 1 approved pathway.

The company said its production units each would be capable of producing 1 million litres of SAF per year by using renewable energy to convert industrial waste streams, but did not specify what those feedstocks were or from where they would be sourced.

It estimated that its well-to-wing emissions would be 90% lower than those of fossil fuels produced and delivered by conventional methods.

As well, it said, pre-production units were already operational, supported by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and its first-of-a-kind production system would reach commercial operation “in a short time horizon”.

Mel Courtney, CEO of ClimaHtech Green Flight, said escalating SAF blending mandates in the UK and Europe required significant and rapid production.

“The UK has a mandate to have 10% of flights using SAF by 2030, with the EU having a 70% target by 2050,” said Courtney. “On current supply, these targets are ambitious, with the International Air Transport Association currently estimating demand surpassing 360 million tonnes by 2050, up from 1 million tonnes that were available in 2024.

“To reach these targets, we need technologies that can be scaled up alongside the development of surrounding infrastructures around airports.

“In the UK, challenges around energy security have been made clear, hence the push from government to increase our use of renewables in the grid.

“Our approach to SAF should match this approach and be accessible to the market where it is needed to be deployed.”

The company’s focus on SAF development close to the customer base has resonated with both Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, and refining giant Shell.

“Progressing towards our sustainability goals depends on securing scalable and affordable SAF,” said Steven Fitzgerald, Ryanair’s Director of Sustainability and Finance. “Catagen’s decentralised SAF model allows production to be brought closer to demand, enabling faster deployment and reducing the bottlenecks that slow down traditional SAF projects. We see this as a critical pathway to reducing our emissions while continuing to deliver affordable travel.”

Shell said the aviation industry’s shift to SAF needed more fuel, faster.

“Shell Aviation is committed to scaling sustainable aviation fuel, but the industry needs both volume and speed,” said Ken McHutcheon, Supply and Operations Manager of Shell Aviation Ireland.

“Catagen’s decentralised, modular approach provides a new way of producing SAF that can complement centralised facilities, shorten timelines and provide more flexible access to fuel. This mode has the potential to reduce reliance on imported SAF, increase energy independence, unlock new markets and accelerate the industry’s journey to net zero.”

Catagen said that with the Ryanair and Shell offtake agreements in place, it was positioned to scale a global network of decentralised SAF production units “offering production sites up to 10 million litres”.

(Left to right) Mel Courtney, CEO ClimaHtech Green Flight; Dr Andrew Woods, Chair of ClimaHtech Green Flight and CEO of CATAGEN; Steven Fitzgerald, Director of Sustainability & Finance, Ryanair; Ken McHutcheon, Supply & Operations Manager, Shell Aviation Ireland; and Alicja Gajewska, Sustainability Manager, Ryanair

Top photo: Ryanair

Tony Harrington
Correspondent