Supplying Feedstock for SAF? Build the Commercial Case Before Promising Volume

Start with the supply you can demonstrate

A discussion about sustainable aviation fuel can quickly move from an available raw material to a projected revenue figure. For an Indian feedstock supplier or aggregator, the more useful starting point is the quantity, quality and delivery service it can actually support.

A regional resource estimate is not the same as material available to a particular buyer. The opportunity becomes clearer when the supplier can explain where the material comes from, what commitments already exist and what it would take to deliver consistently.

This article proposes a commercial preparation exercise for suppliers exploring SAF value chains. It does not establish feedstock eligibility, a production yield or a guaranteed market.

Distinguish sector potential from a specific business case

ICAO's ACT-SAF studies programme distinguishes broad feasibility assessments from more detailed business implementation studies. The latter examine shortlisted feedstocks and pathways alongside sustainability, life-cycle assessment, production costs and market conditions. The programme also lists a completed India feasibility study.

That distinction matters to a supplier. A national study can inform where to investigate, but a supply proposal needs evidence tied to the actual collection area and intended customer.

Write a short opportunity statement before commissioning a large model. Identify the material, proposed delivery location, prospective buyer type and the service you intend to provide. Be explicit about whether your role would be collection, aggregation, processing, storage or delivery. Different roles require different capabilities and commercial arrangements.

Build an availability record with visible limits

Prepare an initial supply register from records you can substantiate. Separate historical collections, supplier indications and volumes covered by enforceable arrangements. Do not combine them into one firm supply total.

Ask the operations team to identify seasonal patterns, interruptions and existing outlets. A material may already have customers or uses that compete with a new proposal. Record those commitments so the sales discussion reflects the uncommitted opportunity.

For a hypothetical aggregator, a promising annual total could depend on many small collection points. The relevant next step would be to test the reliability of those sources and collection routes. It would not be to describe the entire total as secured supply.

Keep a dated assumption log. If an estimate changes after a site visit or supplier discussion, retain the previous basis and explain the revision. That gives the buyer a clearer view of how the proposal is developing.

Ask the buyer to define acceptance

Before negotiating an attractive headline price, request the buyer's specification and acceptance process. Ask which characteristics will be tested, where sampling will occur and what happens when a delivery does not meet the agreed requirements.

Avoid assuming that a feedstock name is a complete specification. Ask the technical parties to confirm whether the proposed material and its variability fit the intended process. Any required treatment should be described and costed by the responsible specialists.

Use a short decision table to organise unresolved items:

Question	Evidence to obtain
What material will be supplied?	Agreed description and specification
What quantity is supportable?	Dated source and collection records
Where is delivery accepted?	Defined delivery point and handling responsibility
What causes rejection?	Agreed testing and exception process
What documentation is needed?	Buyer and certification requirements for the intended route

These are suggested commercial checks, not universal SAF certification rules.

Discuss traceability before scaling collection

Ask the prospective buyer which origin and chain-of-custody records it expects for the intended use. Have a qualified certification specialist assess the applicable requirements before promising that your material will qualify.

The supplier can then test whether existing records are sufficient. Can a delivery be connected to its source records? Who checks inconsistencies? What happens when material from different sources is combined? Document the actual process rather than relying on a general statement that the business is traceable.

A pilot should include a records review as well as a physical delivery review. Missing documentation may be easier to address before the collection network expands. Treat unresolved eligibility questions as open conditions in the proposal, not as administrative details to settle after investment.

Model the delivered service, not just the purchase price

ICAO's SAF Rules of Thumb are designed for order-of-magnitude assessment and examine factors such as feedstock cost, yield and facility scale. They provide context for early analysis; they are not a quotation for a supplier's particular operation.

For your own proposal, build the costs from the activities you would perform. Include collection, transport, handling, storage, testing and any agreed preparation, with a clear distinction between quoted costs and estimates.

Ask finance to examine how payment timing, rejected loads and a slower collection ramp would affect working capital. Keep any assumed premium separate from income supported by an actual commercial arrangement. If the proposal only works under one optimistic combination of assumptions, identify what evidence would be needed to justify it.

Use a limited pilot to resolve the largest unknowns

Choose a pilot that answers a specific question. It might test whether collection is repeatable, whether deliveries meet the buyer's specification or whether the supporting records are usable.

Agree the review criteria before starting. Record delivery quantities, exceptions, actual operating effort and the buyer's feedback. A successful sample does not establish a dependable annual supply commitment, so distinguish what the pilot demonstrated from what still needs testing.

End the review with a decision: proceed to another stage, revise the collection model or stop pursuing that route. A well-supported decision not to scale can be as commercially useful as an encouraging trial.

Take a concrete brief to the market

A supplier with a documented availability record, a defined service and a list of unresolved conditions can hold a more productive buyer conversation than one offering only a large theoretical volume.

ClimateCred's SAF / Fuel Desk lists supply mapping and offtake discussions among its services. To explore a potential role in the value chain, contact the team with the material description, location, available records and proposed delivery scope. Build the commercial discussion around evidence that can be reviewed.