Feasibility Studies for Sustainable Fuel and Certification Pathways

Background

As global industries accelerate their transition to low-carbon and renewable energy systems, companies developing innovative fuels and sustainable supply chains face increasingly complex regulatory and certification requirements. Particularly in sectors such as sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), recycle carbon fuels (RCF) and supply chains processing waste and residue-based biogenic feedstocks, project developers must ensure compliance with evolving international sustainability frameworks before large-scale investments and commercialization can proceed.

Meo Carbon Solutions (MCS) supports companies worldwide through tailored feasibility studies to assess whether planned production concepts, feedstock strategies and supply chains comply with certification schemes and regulatory frameworks such as ISCC EU, ISCC CORSIA, RED III and related greenhouse gas (GHG) requirements. These studies provide strategic guidance during early project development stages and support informed investment and implementation decisions.

The Challenge

Developers of renewable fuels and sustainable feedstock supply chains operate in a highly dynamic regulatory environment. New fuel categories, evolving sustainability criteria and rapidly changing legal frameworks create significant uncertainty for companies planning future production facilities and international market access.

Typical challenges MCS addresses in feasibility studies include:

Assessing whether innovative fuel pathways and feedstocks are eligible under sustainability certification schemes and international regulations.
Evaluating complex global supply chains involving agricultural residues, forestry biomass, waste streams, renewable electricity, hydrogen or captured carbon dioxide.
Understanding certification requirements for traceability, chain-of-custody systems and GHG emission calculations.
Identifying regulatory risks and future implications of evolving legal frameworks such as CORSIA and RED III.
Determining whether specific raw materials, sourcing concepts or production technologies can achieve compliance under schemes such as ISCC EU and ISCC CORSIA.
Providing investors, project developers and technology companies with reliable decision-making support during early-stage project development.

Ensuring technical feasibility alone is no longer sufficient — sustainability compliance and certifiability have become critical success factors for market access and financing.

Our Solutions

MCS develops customized feasibility studies tailored to each client’s specific technologies, feedstocks, production pathways and target markets.

Core elements of these projects typically include:

Detailed assessment of feedstock eligibility and sustainability requirements under applicable certification schemes and regulatory frameworks.
Evaluation of upstream and downstream supply chain structures, including sourcing strategies, processing steps and chain-of-custody requirements.
Analysis of certification pathways under systems such as ISCC EU and ISCC CORSIA.
Assessment of compliance risks linked to renewable fuel regulations, sustainability criteria and GHG accounting methodologies.
Development of tailored certification concepts defining certification scopes, system boundaries, and implementation requirements.
Strategic recommendations regarding certification readiness, risk mitigation and next implementation steps.
Workshops and stakeholder consultations supporting project teams with technical interpretation and regulatory understanding.

By combining technical expertise with in-depth knowledge of international certification systems and sustainability regulations, MCS helps clients translate innovative concepts into certifiable and market-ready projects.

Our Approach

To ensure robust and practical outcomes, MCS applies a structured and collaborative project methodology.

Project Definition and Supply Chain Analysis

The process begins with a detailed review of the planned production setup, feedstocks, sourcing regions, technologies and intended markets. Through workshops and technical discussions, MCS establishes a comprehensive understanding of the supply chain and defines the relevant certification boundaries and assessment criteria.

Regulatory and Certification Assessment

Based on the project setup, MCS evaluates applicable sustainability frameworks and certification requirements. This includes assessing feedstock eligibility, traceability requirements, mass balance systems, GHG methodologies and compliance with schemes such as ISCC EU and ISCC CORSIA. Special attention is given to evolving legal developments and future regulatory risks.

Feasibility Study Development

The findings are consolidated into a structured feasibility study outlining certification opportunities, compliance challenges, implementation requirements and strategic recommendations. The studies are designed to support both technical decision-making and communication with investors, project partners, and certification bodies.

Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building

MCS complements the studies with workshops, consultations and technical discussions, ensuring that project developers and stakeholders gain a clear understanding of certification implications and next implementation steps

The Results

MCS feasibility studies provide companies with a reliable foundation for advancing sustainable fuel and supply chain projects toward implementation and certification.

Key outcomes typically include:

Clear understanding of whether planned projects and supply chains are certifiable under international sustainability schemes.
Early identification of regulatory risks, critical compliance gaps and implementation challenges.
Strategic guidance for optimizing feedstock sourcing, supply chain structures and certification readiness.
Improved confidence for investment decisions and stakeholder communication.
Enhanced preparedness for future certification audits and regulatory developments.
Accelerated project development timelines through early integration of sustainability and certification considerations.

Through these projects, MCS enables companies to navigate increasingly complex sustainability requirements while supporting the development of innovative, climate-focused fuel and energy solutions worldwide.