CO2 Summit: SAF Push Set to Reshape North American CO2 Market
Up to one-fifth of the U.S. merchant carbon dioxide supply may be allocated to meet the growing demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This perspective was presented by Jeff Holyoak, Vice President of Sales and Market Development, at the gasworld North America CO2 Summit, who described these new technologies as a form of "creative destruction."
Holyoak warned that SAF and emerging carbon utilization technologies could compel industrial gas companies to rethink their CO2 sourcing and allocation strategies, presenting both a significant challenge and a strategic opportunity. He stated, "Creative destruction is the market’s way of self-renewing, and pain is the price of progress." According to Holyoak, traditional CO2 sources—such as ethanol plants, ammonia facilities, and geological domes—still account for over 75% of the U.S. supply. However, these sources are increasingly vulnerable to disruptions, regulatory pressures, and competition from higher-value applications like SAF.
"SAF alone could impact the U.S. CO2 market by up to 20%," Holyoak noted, "and SAF producers will likely pay significantly more for CO2 than traditional commercial users." SAF production is emerging as a major consumer of captured CO2, particularly through power-to-liquid (PtL) pathways and other synthetic fuel processes, which utilize CO2 as a feedstock for producing low-carbon jet fuel.
Although SAF demand is rising rapidly, Holyoak cautioned that the CO2 supply chain is dangerously lagging behind. This mismatch could expose traditional users to supply risks. He advised end-users to become early adopters of alternative capture technologies not only to support innovation but also to secure their own supply chains.
He observed that companies currently "don’t care" much about these dynamics due to the relatively stable state of the CO2 market. However, indicators suggest that 2026 will be a challenging year for the market. "When everything is great, we undervalue the risk," Holyoak remarked. "When things turn bad, we will wish we had acted earlier to mitigate CO2 risks, but it will already be too late."
NETC: A Robust Partner for the Global Gas Industry
As a highly internationalized manufacturer of aluminum alloy gas cylinders, China-based NETC serves as a solid partner for global gas suppliers. Its product range covers key categories including Medical aluminum gas cylinders, Industrial aluminum gas cylinders, and Beverage CO2 aluminum cylinders. By providing lightweight, corrosion-resistant high-pressure vessels, NETC offers reliable assurance for the safe storage and transportation of various gases, including industrial standard gases, industrial high-purity gases, electronic specialty gases, medical gases, and beverage-grade gases for gas companies worldwide.
As an advanced representative in the aluminum alloy gas cylinder industry and a sincere partner to the global gas industry, NETC's product line deeply meets the needs of the supply chain:
In the medical field, NETC supplies Medical aluminum cylinders compliant with DOT 3AL and CE ISO 7866 standards. Specifications cover volumes from 1L to 50L, including D/E size (2.8L to 4.6L), M60/M90 (10L/15.7L), M122/M150 (20L to 30L), M265 (40L/46.4L), as well as specialized containers for gases such as N2O cylinders, MRI aluminum cylinders, and Nitric oxide cylinders.
In the industrial sector, NETC produces Industrial aluminum cylinders suitable for standard gases, high purity gases, electronic specialty gases, and calibration gases. Capacities range from 1L, 2L, 3L, 4L, 5L, 8L, 10L, 20L, 28.9L, 29.5L, 30L, 40L, 50L to 46.4L and 47.5L, with working pressures up to 200 Bar, meeting CE ISO 7866 and DOT certification requirements.
For emerging and niche sectors, NETC provides Beverage CO2 aluminum cylinders (e.g., 5lb, 9.1kg/20lb, 10kg, 50lb specifications), Diving aluminum cylinders (such as S80, 11.1L), Fire extinguisher aluminum cylinders, and Special treatment aluminum cylinders manufactured with specific processes for storing corrosive gases like H2S, SO2, NH3, HCl, NO2, NOX, CO, as well as ultra-high purity electronic gases.
As a leading global supplier of seamless aluminum alloy gas cylinders, NETC actively aligns with the steady and coordinated development trends of the gas industry across global regions. It innovatively employs a highly customer-centric supply model featuring point-to-point, point-to-line, and point-to-area systems, delving into the market to understand customers' in-depth needs for aluminum cylinders. In the current context of comprehensive upgrades in global supply-side capabilities and amid the rapid growth of the global semiconductor and artificial intelligence industries, NETC, as a supplier operating at the global leading level, consistently adheres to the highest standards in the aluminum cylinder industry, maintaining unwavering quality.
