CATAGEN has secured commercial finance backed by UK Export Finance to accelerate the commercialisation of technology used in sustainable aviation fuel production.
The Belfast engineering group will use the funding to expand work through its ClimaHtech Green Flight subsidiary, which develops modular technology for producing sustainable aviation fuel.
CATAGEN employs around 50 people and supports approximately 85 UK suppliers. It also operates emissions-testing activities serving manufacturers working with vehicle and industrial standards in international markets.
Founder and chief executive Dr Andrew Woods said: “The backing from UKEF has been instrumental in bridging the gap between late-stage product development and commercialisation.”
The size of the financing has not been disclosed. UK Export Finance is supporting a commercial facility through a government-backed guarantee rather than providing CATAGEN with a conventional grant.
Industrial technology businesses can face a difficult financing stage between demonstrating that equipment works and producing it repeatedly at commercial scale. Manufacturing facilities, components, working capital, and customer delivery may all need funding before recurring revenue is sufficiently established for conventional lenders.
An export guarantee can reduce part of that financing constraint where a company has credible overseas demand and sufficient UK economic content. UKEF’s role is to support viable export activity where appropriate private finance or insurance would otherwise be unavailable or insufficient.
CATAGEN’s funding comes as the UK develops a domestic sustainable aviation fuel market through a combination of regulation and financial support.
SAF can be produced through several pathways using different feedstocks and conversion technologies, but many routes remain more expensive than conventional fossil-based jet fuel.
New plants also face risks around technology performance, feedstock supply, certification, financing, and long-term pricing. Government policy is therefore being used to create sufficient demand and revenue visibility for companies to invest in production capacity.
CATAGEN’s Green Flight approach is based on modular production units rather than relying solely on large centralised refineries. Smaller units can potentially be installed close to feedstock or fuel demand and expanded as customers grow.
The economics still depend on conversion efficiency, uptime, maintenance, feedstock availability, certification, and the price customers are prepared to pay for the finished fuel.
The company already works with customers and partners in the UK, Europe, and the US. UKEF backing is intended to help convert late-stage technology development into commercial export activity.
That transition is demanding for engineering businesses because manufacturing at repeatable quality can expose different challenges from building prototypes. Supply chains must deliver components consistently, production processes need to be standardised, and after-sales support becomes necessary once equipment is operating with customers.
CATAGEN now has additional financing capacity to build that commercial infrastructure. Its ability to turn modular SAF technology into repeatable international sales will determine whether the UKEF-backed facility produces a larger export business around the Belfast operation and its UK supplier base.
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