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Due Diligence for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Projects and Technologies


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Technical and strategic due diligence of sustainable aviation fuel projects and technologies: Bankability, maturity, and technical maturity

The aviation sector has set itself ambitious targets to decarbonise by 2050. In order to reach these goals, innovative new technologies will need to be developed, and existing drop-in solutions, such as sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), will need to scale.

The production of SAF alone is set to triple in 2024 and is poised for enormous growth. It is forecast that the construction of 3,000 – 5,000 new production facilities will be required to meet ambitious industry targets in the coming decades.

To meet these demands, a huge amount of investment and due diligence will be required. In this two-day course, leading expert Stephen Harrison will help project stakeholders and investors to help to prepare projects for rigorous rounds of due diligence and maximise the impact of capital raising processes.

Key course features include:

  • Access to two sessions over two days each lasting approximately three hours

  • All session recordings & any course materials covered during the course

  • Interactive format including opportunities for Q&A with the trainer

  • Pre-recorded videos with experienced SAF investors from leading international funds

  • Flexible access on any device

  • A certificate of attendance after full completion of the course


To see the full agenda and course format, download the brochure below:


Course benefits

  1. Make your investment origination and screening process more efficient

  2. Help to prepare your project for the rigorous round of due diligence that awaits it

  3. Ensure the SAF-tech startup team can maximise the impact of their capital raise processes

  4. Help buyers and sellers see each case from an alternative perspective

  5. Give non-technical advisors an appreciation of the technical and strategic aspects of a deal


Course Outline and Schedule

Technical and strategic due diligence of sustainable aviation fuel projects and technologies: Bankability, maturity, and technical maturity

Day 1 (29 July) - Background, Concepts and Definitions

Module 1: Investment mandates, lender and investor profiles and their objectives

  • Types of due diligence and their role in project finance and investment

  • What should an ideal project or technology look like?

  • Risk tolerance and expected financial returns

  • Tempting pitfalls that the “sell-side” may fall into

  • Fatal mistakes that the “buy-side” may inadvertently make

     

Module 2: Technical maturity, project maturity and risk mitigation

  • TRL, CRL and MRL – maturity and risk of the technology components

  • The whole may be greater than the sum of the parts: process risk and scale up risk

  • Project risk and project maturity

  • Risk mitigation through technical, operational and product mix levers

  • Matching investment opportunities to investor and lender profiles

Day 2 (30 July) - Putting Theory into Practice

Module 3: Investing in projects

  • The fundamentals of sell-side and buy-side project finance due diligence

  • Feedstocks, certified products, process pathways, technology and team

  • SAF-related project case studies and examples

Module 4: Investing in technologies

  • The essentials of sell-side and buy-side technology investment due diligence

  • Maturity, defensibility, competitive advantage and business model

  • SAF-related technology case studies and examples


Meet the trainer…

Stephen B. Harrison is the founder and managing director at sbh4 GmbH in Germany. His work focuses on decarbonisation and greenhouse gas emissions control. SAF, hydrogen, e-fuels and biofuels are fundamental pillars of his consulting practice.

With a background in industry, including 27 years at BOC Gases, The BOC Group and Linde Gas, Stephen has intimate knowledge of sustainable fuels from commercial, technical, operational and safety perspectives.

For 14 years, he was a global business leader in these FTSE100 and DAX30 companies and was frequently involved in M&A proposals, projects, and post-acquisition business integration. Through sbh4, Stephen has extensive buy-side and sell-side M&A due diligence and investment advisory experience in the clean-tech sector.

Private Equity firms, investment fund managers and green-tech start-ups are regular clients. Industrial corporations have often sought his guidance on their decarbonisation plans or growth strategies to commercialise products and services to the energy transition. Stephen also supported the European Commission's CINEA to evaluate large scale projects for e-fuels, hydrogen, and CCS to the third Innovation Fund call in 2023.

In recent years, Stephen has served as the international hydrogen expert and team leader for multiple ADB projects related to renewable hydrogen and CCS in Asia. In 2022, he supported the Word Bank with the Namibia Southern Corridor Development Initiative for SAF and other e-fuel production, he also supported the IFC in Pakistan.

Stephen was session chair for the e-fuels and hydrogen propulsion track at the Hydrogen Technology Expo 2023 in Bremen. He was also the conference chair for the European Carbon Dioxide Utilisation Summit in Hamburg in 2023 which had a strong focus on SAF production technologies and projects.


Interested in speaking to a member of our team before booking your place?

Contact us directly below, or alternatively, complete this short form with your enquiry and we will be in touch to answer your questions:


Contact:

Nick Cassidy
Client Services Manager

E: Nick.Cassidy@safcongress.com
T: +44 (0) 20 3355 4230

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July 16

SAF Feedstock Course: Availability, Supply Chain & Sustainability

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August 28

Introducing Power to Liquids (PtL) & eFuels for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production