Pol Van Pollaert (Quatra) on UCO as feedstock for SAF

Pol Van Pollaert and his brother started the company 15 years ago by acquiring a small used cooking oil collection business, with the support of their father. At that time, Pol’s brother was driver number three and two years later, he joined as driver number five. Over the years, they have done every job imaginable within the company. As Quatra grew, they specialised further: he now focuses primarily on trading the collected volumes and on developing long-term strategic partnerships, both on the sales and purchasing side.

Quatra was recently featured in the Belgian press for its outstanding development over the past years. Can you tell us a bit more?

We were honoured by the attention we received from De Tijd, Belgium’s leading business newspaper. The article highlighted how Quatra has grown over the past 15 years to become the European market leader in used cooking oil collection, with around 180,000 collection points across 11 countries.

This recognition is not about seeking the spotlight, but about underlining the positive impact that strong European sustainability legislation can achieve. By giving new life to a product once considered waste, we create value, reduce emissions and contribute to a cleaner environment.

What is your and Quatra’s role within the Stargate consortium?

Our role is to commit and invest significantly in the collection of UCO from households. We have developed “OlioBox”, a network of recycling bins where citizens can drop off used cooking oil 24/7. These bins are supported by our own fleet of specialised trucks. We also partner with municipalities to create convenient, local collection points.

Today, we already operate more than 1,000 OlioBoxes in Belgium, and through the Stargate partnership, we aim to expand this network. The easier we make it for people to dispose of oil correctly, the more volumes can be collected and recycled into valuable feedstocks.

From a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) standpoint, what do you believe Stargate can bring to the industry?

HEFA technology currently represents the most sustainable and cost-effective pathway for SAF production. Through Stargate, Quatra contributes to decarbonising aviation by supplying high-quality feedstocks, while gaining valuable insights into how airlines, airports and fuel producers can collaborate.

The consortium is crucial because it enables airports to build the necessary decarbonisation infrastructure, ensuring SAF can be distributed effectively to airlines and that long-term partnerships can be established.

What innovations are you driving from Quatra to advance sustainable aviation?

Our role in the SAF industry is to source feedstocks as sustainably and efficiently as possible. Innovation lies in optimising our collection network, investing in pretreatment of oil and building efficiencies that lower costs.

For example, we are deploying larger storage tanks at restaurants, reducing the number of collection stops needed. By consolidating the market through acquisitions and competition, we create a denser client network that makes collection more efficient. At the same time, we are expanding household collection through OlioBox and exploring other potential feedstocks that can be converted into SAF via HEFA technology.

What part can UCO play in the broader picture of SAF?

UCO is currently demanded by three main sectors: road transport, maritime and aviation. Over time, we expect road and maritime to move away from UCO, as other cost-effective alternatives become available. Aviation, however, has no strong alternative feedstock at this moment. We believe UCO will play a central role in decarbonising aviation for the foreseeable future.

To what extent can SAF be an answer to the sector’s sustainability objectives?

There is no single solution, but SAF will likely represent around two-thirds of aviation’s decarbonisation by 2050. The remaining third will come from fleet renewal and efficiency improvements.

Today, SAF is still significantly more expensive than fossil kerosene,  two to three times more for HEFA and up to five times more for e-SAF. However, with mechanisms like the EU ETS raising the cost of fossil kerosene, this gap will shrink and SAF will become increasingly competitive. We expect HEFA to lead the way in the near term, with e-SAF scaling up significantly after 2035.

Do you believe the SAF targets set by the European Commission are achievable in the current situation? If not, what do you think is lacking?

We believe the 6% SAF target by 2030 is achievable. Reaching 70% by 2050 will require higher fossil kerosene prices to make both HEFA and e-SAF more attractive, along with massive investments in new production facilities and continued fleet renewal in aviation.

Based on your experience, what are the different approaches and perceptions of UCO and other raw materials for sustainable fuels (SAF and other) you’ve observed within the broader industry?

Feedstock prices are a key driver. Higher prices create incentives for new investments, making additional feedstocks eligible for HEFA and eventually making e-SAF more competitive. The industry is moving towards diversification, but UCO remains the most trusted and scalable option today.

Could you share any good practices that would be implemented in an ideal world?

In an ideal world, we would continue on the current path but at a greater speed. Until now, SAF producers have struggled with profitability, limiting investment. Once margins improve, more capital will flow into SAF production, enabling expansion and innovation across the industry.

What are the most crucial next steps for Quatra, SAF initiatives and for the sustainable aviation industry as a whole?

For Quatra, the next steps are to further consolidate and innovate the UCO collection market. By building the most efficient feedstock aggregation network in Europe, we will ensure SAF producers have the volumes they need. For the industry as a whole, scaling up production capacity, ensuring stable feedstock supply and creating a level playing field through EU policy will be key.

Which Stargate project are you most excited about for the future?

That’s an easy one: the OlioBox project. Expanding household collection is exciting because it not only aggregates more feedstock for SAF but also engages citizens directly in the circular economy.