In this episode of the SAF Podcast, Oscar chats with Frank Schreurs, co-founder of GAFT, about the innovative approaches his company is taking to revolutionize sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Joining us from his holiday in Sweden, Frank provides a detailed look into GAFT's mission and the challenges the aviation fuel industry faces.
Frank's career spans over two decades in the energy sector, including significant experience in oil trading, M&A, and biodiesel production. This rich background set the stage for his entrepreneurial journey into sustainable fuels. GAFT, originally a CO2 utilization company, evolved into a pioneering firm addressing the critical issue of feedstock shortages for SAF production. Frank explains how GAFT utilizes second-generation sugars, crude glycerin, and advanced electrolysis processes to create local, sustainable feedstocks from CO2 and electricity turning them into valuable lipid feedstocks for HEFA SAF production.
Frank explains GAFT's strategy to license their technology to Biofuel producers so they can upscale their crude glycerin bi-product, whilst also pursuing their own first of a kind facility to produce their lipid feedstock.
A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the challenges of securing reliable and sustainable feedstock supplies. With Europe importing a majority of its used cooking oil from Asia, Frank highlights the inherent issues of dependence on external sources and potential sustainability fraud. GAFT's innovative technology aims to mitigate these risks by producing feedstocks locally, ensuring a more stable and transparent supply chain and producing feedstock that can be put straight into existing refining infrastructure.
Frank also shares insights into the investment landscape, acknowledging the hurdles but expressing optimism due to strategic interest from both financial and technology sectors. They have so far been backed by the EIC and are currently working on the series A which can find the FOAK facility and expand the team.
This episode is a must-listen for those concerned about the Used Cooking Oil importation situation and this could provide another solution to scaling the HEFA pathway and de-coupling it from Asian feedstock importation.
If you enjoyed this episode, catch our recent discussion with Mukund Karanjikar, CleanJoule:
