Thursday 21 May | 14:00 - 17:00 | Room Central America

SAF Upscaling – Time for Action

The EU project ICARUS aims to develop best practices and concepts across the entire value chain for three technological pathways – Biocrude oils to SAF, Alcohols/Isobutanol to SAF, and Syngas to SAF – to accelerate the scale-up of SAF production worldwide.
The workshop will be structured around three main blocks. The first block will focus on the technology dimension, starting with how innovative feedstock strategies can unlock large-scale SAF deployment and reduce reliance on limited resources. It will then present the latest conversion technology developments to overcome process limitations and accelerate commercialization, concluding with an analysis of production costs and environmental impacts for the selected pathways.
The second block will move beyond technology to address policy frameworks, market dynamics, and sustainability certification requirements, including financing needs and instruments essential for SAF upscaling.
Finally, the third block will feature a panel discussion and interactive co-creation session, designed to gather diverse perspectives and integrate them into the ongoing ICARUS work. This closing session offers participants a unique opportunity to contribute directly to shaping future best practices and supporting the expansion of SAF across Europe and beyond.

Agenda

Opening
14:00 – 14:10
Welcome and introduction about ICARUS and the work on Best-practices and concepts
Berta Matas Güell, Senior Research Scientist, SINTEF, Norway

SESSION 1 – Feedstock, SAF production technologies, Sustainability assessment

14:10 – 14:20
Facilitated by Berta Matas Güell, Senior Research Scientist, SINTEF, Norway Enabling scalable SAF production through feedstock innovation
Myrsini Christou, Head of the Biomass Department, CRES, Greece Breaking technological barriers and driving innovation

14:20 – 14:50

  • 14:20 – 14:30
    Biocrude oils to SAF
    Judit Sandquist, Research Scientist, SINTEF, Norway
  • 14:30 – 14:40
    Isobutanol/alcohols to SAF
    Iker Aguirrezabal, Associate Professor, University of the Basque Country, Spain
  • 14:40 – 14:50
    Syngas to SAF
    Evert Boymans, Scientist, TNO, The Netherlands

14:50 – 15:05
SAF production: cost analysis and environmental impacts
Marcos Djun Barbosa Watanabe, Senior Researcher, NTNU, Norway Niels Dögnitz, Research Associate, DBFZ, Germany

15:05 – 15:20 Break

SESSION 2 – Policy, Market, Certification

15:20 – 15:30
Facilitated by:
Judit Sandquist, Research Scientist, SINTEF, Norway Policy, Market, Financing needs,
Kyriakos Maniatis, KM-IIC, Brussels, Belgium

15:30 – 15:40
SAF Sustainability Certification
Esther Hegel, Technical lead for industrial decarbonisation, RSB, Switzerland

15:40 – 15:55
Financing instruments for SAF Upscaling
Maria Georgiadou, Senior expert Renewable Fuels, Biofuels and Bioenergy, European Commission

SESSION 3 – External insights through panel and Co-creation discussions

15:55 – 16:25
Panel discussion with selected experts
Moderated by Judit Sandquist:
Research Scientist, SINTEF, Norway

• Ib Johannsen, Founder and CTO, Circlia Nordic ApS, Denmark
• Claudia Esarte Relanzón, Product Design Technical Advisor – Specialist in renewable liquid fuels, transport decarbonization and energy transition, Repsol, Spain
• Bart Suijkerbuijk, Global Head of Partnerships and Technology for Low-Carbon Fuels, Shell, The Netherlands
• Maria Georgiadou, Senior expert Renewable Fuels, Biofuels and Bioenergy, European Commission
• Glaucia Souza, Professor, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil (tbc)

16:25 – 16:55
* Co-creation through open discussion with all participants
Facilitated by:
• Franziska Müller-Langer, Head of Department, DBFZ, Germany
• Rainer Janssen, Managing Director Projects & Consulting, Germany

Concluding remarks

Organisers

Conference or visitor pass registration is mandatory.
Please note that this programme may be subject to alteration and the organisers reserve the right to do so without giving prior notice.