Haffner Energy, ATOBA Energy join forces to scale sustainable aviation fuel market

Haffner Energy and ATOBA Energy have announced a strategic partnership aimed at transforming the Sustainable Aviation Fuel market by securing long-term offtake agreements. The collaboration is designed to address one of the most significant roadblocks in the SAF production industry—the financial uncertainty surrounding investments in large-scale biofuel technology. By guaranteeing stable pricing and purchase commitments, the companies seek to unlock financing opportunities, drive production scale-up, and establish a reliable supply chain for airlines and jet-fuel distributors.

Haffner Energy, a biomass-to-fuel solutions provider, specializes in converting agricultural and municipal waste into Sustainable Aviation Fuel through its proprietary thermolysis technology. The company has been instrumental in the development of major SAF projects, including the Paris-Vatry SAF initiative, which aims to reach full-scale production by 2030 in line with the European SAF mandate. Meanwhile, ATOBA Energy, a SAF aggregator, bridges the financial gap between producers and airlines by offering long-term contracts that stabilize pricing and mitigate risks for both parties.

What Challenges Does the SAF Market Face?

Despite the growing demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, the industry struggles with financial and logistical hurdles that slow its expansion. The primary challenge lies in the conflicting needs of SAF producers and airlines. Producers require long-term contracts with stable pricing to secure funding for their production facilities, while airlines seek competitive pricing to maintain cost efficiency in an emerging market with evolving regulations.

The SAF production industry remains in its early stages, with supply chain limitations, high production costs, and varying technological approaches adding complexity. Without guaranteed offtake agreements, investors hesitate to commit to large-scale infrastructure projects, limiting the industry’s ability to scale. The partnership between Haffner Energy and ATOBA Energy aims to resolve this financial bottleneck by ensuring that SAF producers receive long-term commitments while airlines benefit from optimized market pricing.

How Does ATOBA Energy’s Aggregation Model Benefit the SAF Industry?

ATOBA Energy’s unique SAF aggregation model plays a crucial role in stabilizing the Sustainable Aviation Fuel market. By consolidating offtake agreements from multiple SAF producers and technologies, ATOBA Energy provides airlines with a diversified, reliable, and cost-effective supply. This model not only reduces risks associated with production fluctuations but also allows SAF producers to secure funding for facility development.

The company ensures stable pricing structures by leveraging various biofuel technology pathways, including Alcohol-to-Jet and Gas Fischer-Tropsch processes, which convert different feedstocks into SAF. ATOBA Energy’s approach enables airlines to access fuel produced from second-generation biomass sources, reducing dependence on fossil fuels while ensuring compliance with international decarbonization targets.

What Role Does Haffner Energy Play in Advancing SAF Technology?

Haffner Energy has positioned itself as a key player in SAF production technology, with over three decades of experience in developing biomass conversion solutions. The company’s thermolysis technology is a patented process that transforms various biomass residues into Sustainable Aviation Fuel, renewable gas, hydrogen, and methanol. Beyond fuel production, Haffner Energy contributes to environmental sustainability by generating biogenic CO₂ and biochar, which aid in carbon sequestration and soil regeneration.

As a family-owned company founded by Marc and Philippe Haffner, the firm has consistently worked toward decarbonizing industries and transportation sectors. By partnering with ATOBA Energy, Haffner Energy strengthens its ability to scale SAF production, ensuring that its projects, such as Paris-Vatry SAF, receive the necessary financial backing to reach commercial viability.

Why Is This Partnership a Game-Changer for SAF Financing?

The agreement between Haffner Energy and ATOBA Energy is expected to create a more structured and predictable financial landscape for the SAF production industry. Philippe Haffner, CEO of Haffner Energy, emphasized that securing long-term purchase contracts is essential for attracting investors and moving SAF projects forward. He noted that ATOBA Energy’s ability to provide airlines with stable pricing while ensuring guaranteed offtake commitments for producers would accelerate industry growth.

He explained that one of the most critical factors in securing financing for SAF production plants is the availability of long-term contracts with price guarantees extending beyond five years. Without such agreements, financial institutions and investors remain hesitant to fund large-scale production projects. By removing this barrier, the partnership significantly de-risks investments in biofuel technology, making SAF a more attractive and scalable alternative to traditional jet fuel.

How Will This Partnership Impact Aviation’s Decarbonization Goals?

The aviation sector faces mounting pressure to achieve its decarbonization targets, with regulatory bodies enforcing stricter SAF adoption mandates. European Union policies require increasing SAF blending percentages in jet fuel by 2030, further driving the need for large-scale production. However, meeting these targets requires overcoming cost and supply limitations, which this partnership directly addresses.

By ensuring stable pricing and long-term contracts, Haffner Energy and ATOBA Energy pave the way for more extensive adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, helping airlines transition away from fossil fuels. The increased availability of SAF will also contribute to reducing aviation’s carbon footprint, aligning with global climate goals.

What’s Next for Haffner Energy and ATOBA Energy?

Moving forward, both companies are expected to expand their collaboration beyond the Paris-Vatry SAF project, potentially engaging with additional producers and airline partners to further stabilize the Sustainable Aviation Fuel market. With demand for SAF expected to surge in the coming years, strategic partnerships like this one will be critical in ensuring a steady supply chain and robust investment framework for the industry.

As SAF technology evolves, collaborations that integrate financing, production, and distribution will be essential in making biofuel technology a mainstream solution for aviation decarbonization. By bridging the financial and logistical gaps in SAF production, Haffner Energy and ATOBA Energy set a precedent for industry-wide adoption, positioning themselves as leaders in the transition toward cleaner aviation fuels.