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Case Study

Synthetic/Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mapping

An in-depth study exploring Scotland’s capabilities, opportunities, and challenges in developing a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supply chain to support aviation sector decarbonisation.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

This study investigated the interest in, and capability of, industry and research organisations in Scotland to support the adoption of synthetic/sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which is seen by many as the first step towards decarbonising the aviation sector.

The study was commissioned by Scottish Enterprise and was delivered between September 2022 and March 2023.

AIMS & OBJECTIVES

Understand the views of a range of stakeholders relevant to the adoption of SAF and any plans they have for the decarbonisation of the aviation sector
Assess the relative importance and timing of SAF compared with other alternative fuels/systems including hydrogen combustion, hydrogen fuel cell, and battery electric
Analyse the opportunity and appetite for building a SAF supply and value chain within Scotland

Understand the views of a range of stakeholders relevant to the adoption of SAF and any plans they have for the decarbonisation of the aviation sector
Assess the relative importance and timing of SAF compared with other alternative fuels/systems including hydrogen combustion, hydrogen fuel cell, and battery electric
Analyse the opportunity and appetite for building a SAF supply and value chain within Scotland




OUR APPROACH

This study had four key phases:

  1. Defining the global market opportunity through identifying and assessing different government and corporate strategies as well as major research programmes
  2. Mapping relevant Scottish capabilities in terms of supply and value chain companies and supporting research and technology development (RTD) activities in industry and academia
  3. Interviewing stakeholders in industry, academia and other relevant organisations in Scotland, the rest of the UK and abroad to understand their activities and (potential) contribution to SAF production and supply within Scotland
  4. Analysis of the above research to characterise the Scottish supply and value chains that could support the delivery of 100% SAF blends and formulate options to support and strengthen activity within Scotland

DELIVERY TEAM

Mark Morrison
Senior Consultant
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Iain Weir
Senior Consultant
About>
John Taylor
Senior Consultant
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OUTPUTS AND IMPACTS

The study engaged with 45 individuals from 37 different organisations, including those developing, blending and supplying conventional aviation fuels (CAF) and/or SAF, aircraft manufacturers, airlines, airports, researchers and other stakeholders from the public and private sectors.

Key findings were:

  • Most stakeholders believe that SAF will be essential in the period to 2050 (and beyond) to decarbonise the aviation sector, because it can directly substitute for CAF
  • There are many obstacles to developing SAF, principally the cost to build new plants (£500M to £1B to build a 500kt p.a. plant) and access to feedstocks
  • There is widespread opinion that the UK, as a whole, is not doing enough to ensure that it exploits the potential economic benefits from SAF
  • Clarity is needed on how the Scottish and UK Governments can support the adoption of SAF, e.g., financially, through a Contracts for Difference approach
  • There is recognition that Scotland has significant strengths to support SAF production, including abundant renewable energy together with plans for green hydrogen production and carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS)
  • Significant work is required to connect the different players within the potential SAF supply and value chains
  • SAF production is already happening elsewhere in the globe and there is a short window of opportunity to do so in Scotland

A SWOT analysis was prepared and a number of actions recommended for the public sector to take that will exploit strengths and opportunities, and address threats and weaknesses. The recommendations made will be explored in further dialogue and discussion with industry.

Access to the full report can be found here.

Mark Morrison

Senior Consultant

I’m Mark, a Senior Consultant at Optimat. I specialise in life sciences and sustainability, working closely with clients to help them understand new technology and market opportunities as well as workforce skills requirements to enable these to become reality.

I’ve been with Optimat since 2015 and worked with a range of public sector clients to deliver insightful market and sector analyses in subject areas including synthetic biology, chemical manufacturing, carbon capture utilisation and storage, medical devices, decarbonised transport, and renewable energy. I’ve also supported private sector clients to secure grant funding from Scottish, UK and European agencies, and have coordinated a number of European Commission funded projects.

Before joining Optimat I was the CEO of the Institute of Nanotechnology, a not-for-profit organisation that was instrumental in raising the profile and opportunities in nanotechnology for UK and European businesses. This provided me with first-hand experience of engaging and collaborating with a range of stakeholders in private, public and third sector organisations across Europe.

I hold a BSc (Hons) in Molecular Biology from the University of Glasgow and a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Manchester.

Iain Weir

Senior Consultant

I’m Iain Weir, formerly Managing Director of Optimat.  I joined Optimat in 1990 and now have over 35 years’ experience of strategy, innovation and economic development consultancy. I am now working part-time as a senior consultant as a stepping stone to retirement in the future.

During my time at Optimat, I’ve worked to support company growth, innovation and economic development across a range of sectors, and I enjoy working with clients to turn data and insight into meaningful action.  I’m proud to have had an integral role over that time in developing Optimat into an internationally recognised strategy consultancy.

One of my key areas of expertise is the development of the low carbon economy, a topic of increasing importance for today’s industries.  I think this is a challenging area for industry and the public sector to address as there can be several solutions offered to reduce carbon impacts, often without a strong evidence base to support their use. I enjoy pursuing an evidence-based analyses of these options to provide valuable insights to stakeholders.

Before joining Optimat, I worked in research and development in the electro-optic materials sector, developing and marketing innovative high-tech materials for a range of applications.  This industrial experience has strongly influenced my approach to assisting companies with their innovation activities.

I hold a BSc (1st class Hons) in Chemistry, a PhD in Chemistry, and an MBA.  I think this strong scientific background has enabled me to pursue an evidence-based and analytical approach to consultancy.

John Taylor

Senior Consultant

I’m John Taylor, a Senior Consultant at Optimat. Since joining the company in 2003, I have developed specialisms in sustainability and net zero related studies. This includes projecting future market demand scenarios, profiling regional supply chain capabilities, identifying and evaluating public sector support interventions and understanding future net zero skills needs across transport, built environment, energy transition, industrial decarbonisation and waste and the circular economy.

I am also one of the lead consultants for economic impact assessments and evaluation of challenge-fund programme and project applications. An experienced innovation due diligence assessor, I focus on reviewing R&D project applications with environmental outcomes. I like to work with good people in teams that deliver insights and outputs that clients value.

Prior to joining Optimat, I started a company to create online platforms to catalyse collaboration between companies and research organisations. Before this, I spent seven years working in the Scottish economic development network, supporting start-up and growing businesses, across all sectors, to develop business plans and access funding.

I have a BA(hons) in Business Economics and Marketing, an MSc in Entrepreneurial Studies and an MSc in Economic Management & Policy with Environmental Economics.