Catagen launches sustainable aviation fuel company

Photo: Catagen

Catagen, a Belfast-based clean-energy engineering company, announced Sept. 17 that it has officially launched ClimaHtech Green Flight at its Titanic Quarter Campus.

CGF, a wholly owned subsidiary of Catagen, will use patented modular-reactor technology to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using off-grid renewable/low-carbon electricity sources—meaning fuel can continue to be produced consistently and is flexible and resilient to any fluctuations in grid connectivity.

Unlike centralized SAF projects that require large investments, lengthy approval processes, extended build times and extensive energy supply, ClimaHtech Green Flight is a decentralized, electrified, modular-production model.

Marking the launch of CGF, Catagen announced new strategic partnerships with Ryanair and Shell Aviation Ireland Ltd. for offtake agreements of SAF production and use.

The partnerships were unveiled at the ClimaHtech Technology Campus launch event, where Catagen showcased its patented BioHGen and eFuel Gen reactor technologies for producing SAF through two pathways: biobased SAF (power-and-biomass-to-liquid) and eSAF (power-to-liquid).

CGF production systems will be manufactured off-site and can be deployed close to renewable electricity assets or close to airports where fuel is needed and with minimal disruption to operations.

Using an industrial waste stream and renewable energy, each unit from CGF will be capable of producing 1 million liters (264,000 gallons) of SAF per year, with over 90 percent reduction in emissions from-well-to-wing compared to fossil jet fuel.

“Progressing towards our sustainability goals depends on securing scalable and affordable SAF,” said Steven Fitzgerald, Ryanair’s director of sustainability and finance. “Catagen’s decentralized 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.”

Ken McHutcheon, Shell Aviation Ireland’s supply and operations manager, added, “Shell Aviation is committed to scaling sustainable aviation fuel, but the industry needs both volume and speed. Catagen’s decentralized, modular approach provides a new way of producing SAF that can complement centralized facilities, shorten timelines and provide more flexible access to fuel. This model has the potential to reduce reliance on imported SAF, increase energy independence, unlock new markets and accelerate the industry’s journey to net zero.”

Mel Courtney, CEO ClimaHtech Green Flight, said, “The U.K. has a mandate to have 10 percent of flights using SAF by 2030, with the EU having a 70 percent target by 2050. On current supply, these targets are ambitious, with the International Air Transport Association currently estimating demand surpassing 360 million tons by 2050, up from 1 million tons 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 U.K., 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 launch of ClimaHtech Green Flight is the next step in our plan to decarbonize the aviation industry.”

Catagen was the first company to submit a sample of SAF to the EU SAF clearinghouse in 2024 and is progressing through fast-track certification on the ASTM D7566 Annex A1 approved pathway.

The company’s preproduction units, supported by the U.K. Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, are already operational.

Catagen’s first-of-a-kind SAF production system will reach commercial operation in a short time horizon, according to the company, producing 1 million liters (264,000 gallons) of SAF per year.

With these offtake partnerships in place, Catagen said it is now positioned to scale a network of decentralized production units worldwide, offering production sites up to 10 million liters (2.64 million gallons).