Global momentum behind sustainable aviation fuel continues to build, but the path to scale is anything but straightforward. In this session, speakers will examine how evolving policy frameworks, fragmented regulatory systems and emerging pricing mechanisms are shaping SAF markets worldwide. From CAAFI’s long-standing public-private collaboration model to the growing complexity of global compliance programs, the discussion will explore how demand is forming—and where challenges persist. Panelists will also unpack the role of lifecycle analysis, certification systems and pricing benchmarks in enabling market access and investment decisions, while offering insight into the cost dynamics of decarbonizing aviation. This conversation will provide a comprehensive look at how policy, pricing and market forces must align to move SAF from early growth to global scale.

• Timothy Hughes, Project Director, CAAFI (Com'l Aviation Alt. Fuels Init)
  The Promise, Progress & Potential for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF)
• Kristine Klavers, Managing Director, SAF & RD, EcoEngineers
  SAF in a Fragmented World: Aligning Global Demand Growth with Regional Opportunities & Compliance Requirements
• Sofía Cabrera, Price Reporter - Sustainable Aviation Fuel, S&P Global Commodity Insights
  Decoding SAF Pricing: The Impact of Regulatory Frameworks on Market Dynamics
• Mengying Wu, Postdoctoral Associate, Harvard University
  Policy Interactions and the Cost of Decarbonizing Aviation

As the sustainable aviation fuel industry matures, understanding the economics behind project development and required investments is critical. This session will explore the cost structures, policy signals and market dynamics shaping SAF deployment, with a focus on ethanol-to-jet pathways and evolving incentive frameworks. Panelists will examine how producers are navigating an ever-shifting policy landscape—including post-One Big Beautiful Bill Act tax credit structures, carbon accounting mechanisms and international regulations such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism—and what it means for capital investment and project viability. From pricing transparency to compliance-driven demand, the discussion will provide valuable insight into how economic and policy drivers are influencing the path to commercial-scale SAF.

• Sofía Cabrera, Price Reporter - Sustainable Aviation Fuel, S&P Global Commodity Insights
  Ethanol-to-Jet: Cost Structure, Pricing Signals, and Market Outlook
• Azadeh Rohani, Senior Consultant, Worley Consulting
  The Great Ethanol Pivot: Navigating CCUS, SAF, and the Post-OBBBA Incentive Landscape
• John Pierce, Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
  The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) – Impacts on U.S. Sustainable Aviation Fuel Markets and Transatlantic Aviation

Feedstock, technology innovation and plant economics will be the topics of focus in this forward-looking session examining how availability, regulation and pricing are shaping the SAF landscape. From waste oils and animal fats to agricultural residues and emerging alternatives, feedstock selection continues to drive cost structures, scalability and compliance, while evolving pricing methodologies aim to bring greater transparency to a volatile market. The discussion will also detail how new processing technologies are unlocking value from lower-quality inputs, improving project economics and accelerating deployment timelines. Rounding out the panel, insights into operational efficiency—from catalyst optimization to heat recovery—will highlight how producers can maintain margins amid ongoing policy uncertainty.

• Sofía Cabrera, Price Reporter - Sustainable Aviation Fuel, S&P Global Commodity Insights
  SAF Feedstocks: The Influence of Availability, Regulation, and Pricing on Market Development
• Luis Hoffmann, Global Licensing Director, Sustainable Fuels, Sulzer Chemtech Ltd
  BioFlux™ Technology for SAF and Renewable Diesel Production from Contaminated Feedstocks
• Bill Morphew, Global VP of Sales, CPM | Crown
  Maximizing Operational Efficiency in Biodiesel Plants

Lipid-based pathways persist as the major gateway to SAF production, which places an increased emphasis on feedstock quality and pretreatment strategies as key drivers of plant performance and economics. This panel will explore how producers are navigating tightening specifications and rising impurity challenges across a growing mix of feedstocks—from used cooking oil and distillers corn oil to animal fats and other low-carbon-intensity inputs. Discussions will highlight advancements in pretreatment technologies designed to remove contaminants, protect catalysts and avoid down time, as well as innovations in catalyst activation and process monitoring that improve safety and operational control. The session will also include an examination of opportunities to unlock additional value from existing ethanol infrastructure, offering new pathways to integrate SAF production and enhance plant profitability.

• Bryan Yeh, Vice President of Engineering & US Operations, Canary Renewables Corp.
  Pretreatment Considerations and Options for the HEFA Process
• Fahmi Kresmagus, Senior Business Development Manager, Clariant Corporation
  Beyond Bleaching: Optimized Pretreatment of Low CI Feedstocks for RNF via High Performance Adsorbents
• Randy Alexander, Chief Operating Officer, Reactor Resources LLC
  Safer and Smarter Catalyst Sulfiding for HEFA Renewable Fuels Units
• Matthew Clingerman, Head of Licensing Technology Development, Sulzer Chemtech USA Inc.
  Unlocking Value from Corn Oil via SAF Production

Ethanol is emerging as a key bridge to scalable sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, positioning alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) pathways as a critical next step in aviation decarbonization. This session will be of particular interest to ethanol producers, exploring how they can prepare for future SAF markets, with a focus on plant design, operational consistency and carbon intensity reduction. Discussions will examine how integrating carbon capture and storage can push ATJ pathways toward carbon-negative outcomes, while also highlighting innovations in conversion technologies, reactor systems and thermal integration that improve efficiency and flexibility. From feedstock readiness to process optimization, the conversation will break down how ethanol facilities can evolve into strategic SAF suppliers in an increasingly carbon-constrained energy landscape.

• Shantanu Jalgaonkar, Manager, PRAJ Industries Limited
  SAF-Ready Ethanol Plants: Preparing Today’s Fuel Ethanol Facilities for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Markets
• Tanuj Kapta, Senior Engagement Manager, cKinetics
  Alcohol-to-Jet with BECCS: A Pathway to Carbon-Negative Aviation Fuels
• Denis Pchelintsev, Vice President of Engineering, Universal Fuel Technologies
  Flexible Ethanol-to-SAF (ETJ-CKA) via Flexiforming: Cost Advantage with Enhanced Blend Flexibility

Scaling sustainable aviation fuel from biomass and waste streams hinges on both technological innovation and real-world deployment strategies. This session explores emerging pathways for converting agricultural residues, perennial grasses and municipal solid waste into low-carbon fuels, highlighting advances in pretreatment, conversion efficiency and reactor design. It will also examine system-level considerations such as feedstock logistics, process integration and resource constraints—including water use—associated with large-scale bioenergy expansion. Together, these perspectives provide a clearer view of how next-generation biomass solutions can move from pilot to commercial scale while meeting cost, carbon intensity and sustainability targets.

• Nitin Kolhapure, Director of Engineering, SAFFiRE Renewables
  Advancing Next-Generation Biomass Conversion: SAFFiRE’s Pathway to Low CI Cellulosic Fuels
• Robert Kozak, President, Atlantic Biomass LLC
  Building a Future with Affordable Renewable SAF and Other Fuels Based on Perennial Grasses
• Jayant Khambekar, Senior Consultant, Jenike & Johanson, Inc.
  SAF Production from Biomass and MSW - Importance of High Pressure Reactor Infeed
• May Wu, Principal Environmental System Scientist, Argonne National Laboratory
  U.S. Bioenergy Scale-Up: Water Resource Implications of Billion-Ton Feedstocks

Breaking beyond lipid-based pathways is essential to unlocking the next wave of sustainable aviation fuel growth. This session explores emerging feedstock strategies—including recycled carbon, biogenic CO2-derived intermediates and lignocellulosic biomass—that aim to expand supply while improving scalability and carbon performance. It will examine how novel conversion technologies, hybrid process integration and infrastructure-compatible intermediates are reshaping the SAF landscape, with a focus on cost, flexibility and deployment risk. Together, these approaches highlight a growing shift toward feedstock diversification and more resilient, scalable production models.

• Kevin Hathaway, CEO, Terra Carbon Development, Inc.
  Recycled CO2 as a Source of Renewable Feedstock
• Hamed Heidari, CEO & Co-founder, C+UP
  Renewable Propane from Biogenic CO2 as a Scalable Intermediate Feedstock for Sustainable Aviation Fuel
• Eric Seck, COO, Mercurius Biorefining
  Scaling SAF Beyond HEFA: Economic and Process Comparisons of Cellulosic Conversion Pathways Using REACH™ Technology
• Ruby Nicholson, Carbon & Policy Manager, BioVeritas
  KEYtones - Unlocking Next-Generation SAF

Bringing next-generation aviation fuels to market requires more than production—it demands rigorous testing, validation and qualification. This session explores advanced analytical techniques and emerging conversion approaches that are shaping fuel certification and performance, from biogenic carbon measurement and multidimensional fuel analysis to novel pathways for upgrading biodiesel and integrating lower-risk intermediates. With a focus on compliance, cost and real-world applicability, it highlights the critical role of testing in accelerating innovation while ensuring fuel quality, safety and regulatory alignment.

• Alex Henson, Account Manager, SGS Beta
  ASTM D6866 Biogenic Carbon Content Measurement of Biomass-Derived Fuels
• Nicole M. Lock, Group Product Leader – Molecular and Atomic Analysis, PAC LP
  Advanced Fuel Analysis with Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography (Flow-Modulated GC×GC-FID)
• Junli Liu, Senior Research Scientist, Purdue University
  Transforming Biodiesel into Biokerosene as Jet Fuel and Winter-Season Diesel Fuel Using Fully Electrified Ozone-Cracking
• Zachary Schmidt, Chemical Process Engineer, Universal Fuel Technologies
  Cost-Competitive, Semi-Renewable Gasoline as a Low-Risk, Intermediate Step Toward $4/Gallon SAF Production

Delivering sustainable aviation fuel projects at scale requires thoughtful engineering, efficient construction strategies and strong risk management from the outset. This session explores approaches to improving project execution, including modular construction techniques, early-stage process safety analysis and the integration of digital tools to support operations and decision-making. With a focus on cost, schedule and reliability, it highlights practical considerations that can help developers move SAF projects from concept to completion more effectively.

• Shrirang Vaze, Joint General Manager, PRAJ Industries Limited
  Modularization: Constructing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Projects with Advanced Proprietary Modular Methodology
• Cami Snow, Senior Project Engineer, Pinnacle Engineering, Inc.
  Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) for Emerging Bioenergy Technologies: Practical Tools and Pitfalls
• John Oyen, Director of Business Development, ABB, Inc.
  The Jigsaw Puzzle of SAF Projects