Nova Pangaea Technologies, a cleantech firm based in Redcar, has agreed to support NorSAF's planned sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project in Latvia. The facility will use locally sourced wood waste to produce ethanol through Nova Pangaea's REFNOVA technology, with biochar as a co-product that stores carbon. Production is expected to start in 2031, and the partners say the deal helps build a more resilient European supply chain for SAF feedstocks. The project sits against a sharp EU mandate that requires aviation fuel suppliers to raise SAF share from 2% in 2025 to 20% by 2035. Europe currently leans heavily on imported used cooking oil and waste fats, so agricultural and forestry residues are seen as a more secure local alternative. Nova Pangaea also runs a demo plant in Redcar and is involved in Project Speedbird, a UK government-backed SAF initiative with British Airways and LanzaJet.
