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To achieve sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) scalability, the industry must adopt feedstock agnostic refineries and standardized project models. Johnson Matthey's CEO, Maurits van Tol, emphasized this at India Energy Week 2026, noting that diverse raw materials necessitate adaptable technology.

He highlighted the bankability gap, where SAF projects often require over $1 billion in investments, complicating financing for new developers. The UK SAF Project Accelerator aims to create a replicable financing model for second-generation SAF plants.

Van Tol identified India as a key area for large-scale SAF facilities, leveraging its agricultural and urban waste resources. Johnson Matthey is pursuing multiple SAF pathways, including gasification and CO2-based processes. He concluded that economies of scale and modularization are crucial for reducing costs and carbon intensity in SAF production.