PtL (power to liquid) technologies may be the key to unlocking SAF

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Power-to-Liquid (PtL) fuels may be the key to unlocking truly scalable and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Unlike conventional bio-based feedstocks, PtL offers a synthetic pathway that utilizes renewable electricity and captured CO2, thereby avoiding land use, feedstock scarcity, and geopolitical volatility. That's why I'm exploring it as a core investment thesis and looking to identify the leading innovators in the space.

Current SAF strategies rely on limited and often volatile bio-based inputs, such as waste oils, municipal solid waste, and woody biomass. These feedstocks are constrained by geography, agriculture, and competition with other sectors. They will not be enough to meet the growing demand for decarbonized aviation.
PtL represents a promising alternative. It creates synthetic fuels from renewable energy and CO2, with four significant advantages:

✅ Scalability using abundant clean electricity and air- or point-source carbon
✅ Energy security by decoupling aviation fuel from fossil market volatility
✅ Carbon circularity through closed-loop CO2 recycling
✅ Infrastructure readiness due to its compatibility with existing Jet-A systems

PtL also avoids many of the downsides of biofuels. It uses less water, requires no arable land, and can match the energy density needed by aviation.
Of course, there are challenges. PtL is still in its early stages of commercial deployment, energy input costs are high, and lifecycle carbon accounting depends on the CO2 source. Policy, certification, and infrastructure also need to catch up. And in the near term, PtL will likely complement rather than entirely replace bio-based SAF.

But if we want energy abundance and a resilient, decarbonized future for aviation, we cannot rely solely on feedstocks that are inherently limited or limitable.

So here's my question to the community:

Who are the leading innovators working on Power-to-Liquid fuels and electrofuels from renewable electricity and captured CO2?

If you're building in this space or investing in it, I'd love to connect with you.

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