A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in 2007, Curt came to&nbsp;the publication&nbsp;from the broadcast industry where he was a national science and technology television reporter and producer. He writes on the FBO field, aviation finance, and sustainable aviation and occasionally contributes to&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;sister publication&nbsp;Business Jet Traveler. Curt was a member of the AINtv reporting staff that won the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year award for Best Airshow Daily. That same year, he was a finalist for another AJOYA award. He earned an AJOYA for Best Business Aviation Submission in 2018 and was a finalist in that category in 2021. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s&nbsp; Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.
Before joining AIN, Curt worked with&nbsp;Consumer Reports’ television division, CRTV, and for several local television news staffs. An honors graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 1995. Curt lives in New York State with his wife and two young sons.

Senior Editor

Curt Epstein

France-based global energy conglomerate TotalEnergies has signed a joint development and cost-sharing agreement with Saudi government-owned petroleum producer Aramco and Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) to assess the development of a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility in Saudi Arabia.
The move was announced this week during a visit to the country by French President Emmanuel Macron, which also celebrated the 50th anniversary of TotalEnergies’ operations in Saudi Arabia.
The three participating companies will use their expertise to establish a production unit that will create SAF from locally sourced residue feedstocks including animal fats and used cooking oil.
“We are delighted to [be] partnering with Aramco and SIRC to study the production of sustainable aviation fuels in the Kingdom,” stated TotalEnergies chair and CEO Patrick Pouyanné. “Saudi Arabia is emblematic of our multi-energy strategy aimed at supporting the energy transition of oil and gas producing countries.”
In 2014, TotalEnergies and Aramco entered into their first joint partnership: Saudi Aramco Total Refining And Petrochemical (SATORP), one of the world’s one of the most complex and efficient refining and petrochemical platforms, located in the industrial city of Jubail on the country's east coast. The two companies plan to begin the co-processing of used cooking oil there to produce SAF by 2026. The partnership will expand the following year, as Amiral—a new $11 billion petrochemical complex attached to the refinery—is expected to become operational.
“With demand for air travel forecast to grow, it’s becoming imperative to address aviation emissions through lower-carbon alternatives such as sustainable aviation fuels,” said Aramco president Amin Nasser. “We already have a well-established partnership with TotalEnergies, and this new collaboration demonstrates our intent to explore ways to leverage our combined strengths, in this case with a view to establishing a sustainable aviation fuels plant in the Kingdom with SIRC.”
Ziyad Al-Shiha, CEO of SIRC, noted that his company has a focus on increasing the conversion of the Kingdom’s wastes into renewable resources, in line with the <a href="https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/en">Saudi 2030</a> roadmap and the country’s <a href="https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/en/explore/projects/saudi-green-initiative">green initiative</a>. “The new partnership with Aramco and TotalEnergies to assess the feasibility of a renewable aviation fuels plant signifies a major leap forward in our mission,” he said. “We also believe it will enrich and energize our efforts to lead the development of the kingdom’s circular economy.”

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

TotalEnergies Will Explore Saudi SAF Plant Development with Aramco

The move could bolster the Kingdom's circular economy and sustainability

France-based global energy conglomerate TotalEnergies has signed a joint development and cost-sharing agreement with Aramco on a SAF plant in Saudi Arabia.

TotalEnergies, Aramco Sign SAF Development Agreement

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

New developments at FBOs including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

News and developments about aviation fuel, including jet fuel, aviation gasoline, and biofuel.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Naples Aviation is the first of many to begin offering SAF in the coming months

Florida FBO Becomes First on East Coast To Offer SAF

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

The large-scale plant is expected to come online in 2026

Pakistan's First SAF Plant Gets Funding Boost

Kerry Lynch

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Environmental regulatory schemes are growing exponentially worldwide

4Air Compliance Services Expand with 21 More Enviro Regs

Charles Alcock

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Rules are intended to drive up availability of sustainable aviation fuel at airports

UK Mandate To Require More SAF Use Starting in 2025

The report sees the Midwest as a future hotbed of SAF production

Environmental Group Sees U.S. e-Fuel Potential

NBAA called a study suggesting business aviation emissions will need to be regulated 'misleading' 

NBAA Challenges Study Highlighting Bizav Emissions

NASA's Gulfstream G-III will use lidar technology to scan contrails of GE's Boeing 747

NASA and GE Plan Flight Tests To Study Contrails

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

MEBAA 2024

More In Environment