e-fuels Terminal — User Guide
The SAF Intelligence
Terminal
A professional-grade market dashboard tracking the global sustainable aviation fuel industry — 500+ production plants, 20+ feedstock indices, regulatory frameworks across 6 regions, and live route economics in one unified interface.
01
Dashboard Layout
The terminal uses a three-column grid that fills your entire screen. Four information panels sit inside the grid alongside a live KPI strip across the top.
TRACKER
Plants
PRICING
Feedstock
DETAIL
Market / Plant
REGULATORY
Compliance
Topbar Navigation
Switch between 5 views — Overview, Plants, Feedstock, Regulatory, Analytics. Active view is shown in orange.
Live Ticker
Scrolling feedstock prices across the top — click any ticker item to jump directly to that feedstock's detail.
KPI Strip
Real-time headline numbers — plant counts, total capacity, feedstock count, region breakdown, and regulation tally.
Status Bar
Bottom bar shows connection status, total plants, feedstocks, regulatory items, capacity, regions, and last update time.
02
Access & Authentication
The terminal is protected by a session-based access gate. Your session stays active until you close the browser tab. You will not be prompted again within the same session.
1
Enter access code
Type your access code in the centred input field. The field is masked. Press Enter or click the orange button.
2
Session activates
The auth gate fades out and the terminal loads live data from the API. The status bar at the bottom shows CONNECTED.
3
Last view restored
The terminal automatically reopens on the same view and with the same panel layout you left. No reconfiguration needed.
Session storage only — your access code is never transmitted or stored beyond the current session. Layout preferences (panel widths, view mode) are saved in localStorage and persist across sessions.
03
5 View Modes
Switch views using the topbar navigation or the mobile bottom tabs. Each view expands the relevant panel to full width while keeping the detail sidebar accessible. Your last active view is automatically restored on every visit.
Overview
All 4 panels visible simultaneously
Plants
Full-width plant tracker + detail
Feedstock
Full-width price grid + scenarios
Regulatory
Expanded compliance monitor
Analytics
Full-screen market analytics
Pro tip: Use the Overview mode for the full market picture. Switch to a dedicated view when you need to work intensively with one data domain — Plants for deal sourcing, Feedstock for procurement, Regulatory for compliance work.
04
KPI Strip
The horizontal strip immediately below the topbar displays 8 headline metrics that update in real time as data loads. Orange numbers indicate YTD changes vs the previous period.
Total Plants
Number of SAF production facilities tracked globally across all statuses.
Operating
Currently producing plants with capacity data.
Under Construction
Plants in active build phase, shown with count.
Total Capacity
Aggregate tonnes per annum across all operating plants.
Feedstocks
Number of live price indices in the system.
Regions
Geographic breakdown — EU, US, Asia, ME, LatAm, Oceania.
05
Plant Tracker
The Global SAF Plant Database is the core of the terminal. Every tracked production facility is listed with status, region, technology route, and capacity.
1
Filter by status
Use the filter buttons — ALL Operating Construction FEED Announced — to narrow the list by project stage.
2
Search any field
The search box filters across all visible columns simultaneously — name, region, route, operator. Results update as you type.
3
Sort columns
Click any column header (ID, Name, Region, Route, Capacity, Status) to sort ascending. Click again to reverse. The active sort column is highlighted orange.
4
Open plant detail
Click any row to load the full plant profile in the Detail panel — location, capacity timeline, feedstock inputs, connections, and update history.
5
Import / Export CSV
Use Import CSV to bulk-upload plant data from a spreadsheet. Use Export CSV to download the currently filtered view for offline analysis.
CSV Import format: Columns must match the database schema — name, region, country, route_type, capacity_tpa, status, operator, start_year. New plants are appended; existing IDs are updated.
06
Feedstock Price Indices
22 feedstock price indices across 7 commodity categories, each showing the live spot price, unit, source exchange, and a mini trend sparkline.
Fats & Oils
UCO, tallow (cat 1/2/3), palm oil, cooking oil imports. HEFA pathway feedstocks.
Alcohols
Ethanol (ATJ pathway) — Rotterdam T2 spot and US gallon prices.
Hydrogen & Electrolysis
Green hydrogen, electrolyser CAPEX, biogenic CO₂, DAC CO₂ — PtL pathway inputs.
Intermediates
Methanol (spot & contract), synthetic intermediates for e-fuel production chains.
Biomass & Waste
MSW gate fee, wood pellets, biomethane GOs — gasification and thermal pathways.
Certificates & Credits
D3 RINs, biomethane GOs — compliance credit market pricing.
1
Filter by category
Click any category tab (ALL, Fats & Oils, Alcohols…) at the top of the panel to show only that commodity class.
2
Open price detail
Click any feedstock card to load its full detail in the right panel — price history chart, unit conversion, source exchange, and related plants using that feedstock.
3
Unit conversion
In the detail panel, use the Input tab to convert between USD/t, USD/gal, USD/MWh, and EUR equivalents at live rates.
07
Detail Panel
The right-hand panel is context-sensitive — it shows the market overview by default, then switches to a deep-dive profile when you select a plant or feedstock. Four tabs provide structured access to every data layer.
Info tab
Full plant or feedstock profile — location, operator, technology route, capacity, certifications, and key dates. For the market overview: global plant map, pipeline stats, and regional breakdown.
Connections tab
Supply chain relationships — which feedstocks does this plant use? Which offtakers? Which other plants share the same operator or investor group?
Input tab
Live feedstock cost calculator — model the production economics for a specific plant given today's input prices. Adjust feedstock mix and see cost per tonne of SAF.
History tab
Update log for the selected plant or regulation — timestamped changes, capacity revisions, status transitions, and data source attributions.
Market Overview default state: When no plant or feedstock is selected, the detail panel shows the Global Plant Map with pins by region, total pipeline stats, capacity utilisation rate, and the highest-priced feedstocks of the day.
08
Regulatory Monitor
The Compliance Monitor tracks active SAF mandates, blending obligations, and support schemes across 6 regions. Each entry shows status, effective date, mandate level, and enforcement region.
RED III
EU Renewable Energy Directive — SAF blending targets for aviation fuel suppliers from 2025.
ReFuelEU Aviation
EU-specific SAF mandate with escalating blending percentages through 2050.
CORSIA
ICAO Carbon Offsetting scheme — international aviation CO₂ compliance.
US SAF Grand Challenge
US federal target of 3 billion gallons SAF by 2030 with IRA tax credit structure.
Click any regulation row to load its full compliance detail in the right panel — mandate text, effective dates, covered entities, enforcement status, and recent policy updates.
09
SAF Cost Calculator
The SAF Cost Calculator is a full production economics model. Enter your specific inputs and get a real-time cost breakdown per tonne of SAF, with route comparison across the 5 major production pathways.
1
Open the calculator
Click the SAF Cost Calculator button in the topbar. The modal opens over the terminal without losing your current view.
2
Select production route
Choose from HEFA, AtJ (Ethanol), FT-MSW, FT-Biomass, or PtL (e-SAF). Each route shows its specific input parameters.
3
Adjust inputs
Feedstock cost, CAPEX, OPEX, conversion efficiency, and energy inputs are pre-filled with today's live market prices. Override any value.
4
Read the results
The right side shows total production cost (USD/t SAF), cost per GJ, CO₂ abatement cost, and the premium vs Jet-A conventional fuel.
5
Route comparison
The comparison table at the bottom shows all 5 routes side-by-side with the currently configured inputs, enabling direct cost competitiveness analysis.
Live feedstock prices: When you open the calculator, all feedstock input fields are automatically pre-loaded with current market prices from the Feedstock Indices panel. Changes you make in the calculator do not affect the live indices.
10
Resize Panels
Every column boundary in the terminal is draggable. Hover over the border between two panels — the cursor changes to a resize arrow and an orange line appears. Drag to redistribute screen space.
1
Hover the column border
Move your cursor to the vertical divider between panels. An orange hairline appears confirming the resize zone is active.
2
Drag to resize
Click and drag left or right. Both adjacent panels resize simultaneously — one grows as the other shrinks. Minimum width is 160px per column.
3
Layout is saved automatically
On mouse release the column widths are written to localStorage under a per-view key. Each view mode has its own independently saved layout.
4
Reset to default
Double-click any column border to reset that view's layout to the default proportions (1fr 1fr 380px).
View-specific handles: In Overview, both column borders are draggable. In Plants / Feedstock / Regulatory views, only the border between the main panel and the Detail panel is draggable (the left handle is hidden since the main panel spans both columns). In Analytics view (full-screen), no resize handles are shown.
11
Rearrange Panels
Each panel can be dragged to a different grid position using its handle. The panels snap magnetically into each other's slots — no free positioning, always a clean grid.
1
Grab the drag handle
Every panel header contains a ⠿ six-dot handle on the left side. Click and hold it to start dragging. The cursor changes to a grab cursor.
2
Ghost follows cursor
A semi-transparent copy of the panel header follows your cursor across the screen. The source panel fades to 20% opacity.
3
Target panel highlights
As you hover over another panel, it highlights with an orange border and scales slightly — the "magnetic pull" indicator.
4
Release to swap
Drop onto the target panel to swap their grid positions. Both panels flash orange to confirm the swap. Layout is saved to localStorage immediately.
5
Reset all panels
Click the ⊞ Reset Layout button (topbar, next to SAF Calculator) to restore the default panel arrangement with an orange flash animation.
ESC to cancel: Press Esc at any time during a drag to abort and return all panels to their previous positions. The ghost disappears and no layout change is saved.
12
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Switch to View 1–5 | 1 – 5 | Anywhere (not in input) |
| Reset panel layout | R | Anywhere (not in input) |
| Maximize focused panel | M | Anywhere (not in input) |
| Restore all panels | Esc | Panel maximized |
| Cancel drag operation | Esc | While dragging a panel |
| Submit access code | Enter | Auth gate |
| Reset column widths | Double-click border | Column resize handle |
| Close calculator modal | Esc or click ✕ | SAF Calculator open |
Hint bar: Press any key while the terminal is focused and a small 1–5 · R · M hint appears in the topbar — a reminder that keyboard shortcuts are active.
13
Panel Maximize
Any panel can be expanded to full-screen overlay — covering the entire terminal area — so you can focus on a single data stream without leaving the dashboard.
Maximize Button
Each panel header contains a small ⤢ expand icon on the right side. Click it to maximize that panel to full overlay. Click again to restore.
Double-Click Header
Double-click anywhere on a panel's title bar (not on a button) to maximize it. Double-click again or press Esc to restore.
Keyboard: M
Press M anywhere in the dashboard (when not typing in an input) to maximize the first visible panel. Press Esc to restore all panels.
Restore
Press Esc, double-click the header again, or click the ⤡ restore icon to return the panel to its normal grid position. Only one panel can be maximized at a time.
Best use: Maximize the Feedstock Prices panel when doing detailed price analysis, or the Plant Tracker when reviewing the full plant database. The maximized panel remains fully interactive — filtering, sorting, and selection all work normally.
14
Light / Dark Mode
The terminal supports both a dark mode (default, optimised for extended use on dark displays) and a light mode (warm off-white palette for bright environments or screen sharing).
1
Find the toggle
A sun ☀ / moon ☽ icon sits in the topbar status area, to the left of the clock. Click it to switch themes instantly.
2
Smooth transition
The entire interface transitions in 250ms — backgrounds, borders, text, and all UI elements switch simultaneously without a flash.
3
Preference saved
Your choice is stored in localStorage under efuels_theme and automatically restored on every visit. The default is dark mode.
Dark Mode
Deep charcoal backgrounds (#0a0a0a), warm off-white text (#e8e6e1), orange accents. Designed for low-light environments and extended professional use. Default
Light Mode
Warm parchment backgrounds (#f5f4f0), near-black text (#1a1a18), adapted accent colours. Ideal for bright offices, presentations, and screen sharing.
14
Signal Bar — Market Urgency
The Signal Bar sits between the live ticker and the KPI strip. It provides a permanent, at-a-glance read on the four forces that drive action in this market: regulatory deadlines, supply gaps, production economics, and pipeline status.
ReFuelEU 6% — Countdown
Live countdown in days to January 1, 2030 — the next escalation point of the ReFuelEU Aviation mandate requiring 6% SAF blending at EU airports. Displayed in orange because it is the most time-sensitive investment decision trigger.
CORSIA Phase 2 — Countdown
Countdown to the end of ICAO's CORSIA Phase 2 compliance period (December 31, 2026). Airlines must demonstrate SAF use or carbon offsets. Displayed in amber as a near-term compliance signal.
EU Supply Gap 2030
Estimated unmet SAF demand in the EU by 2030 based on ReFuelEU blending targets vs confirmed production capacity. ~5M tpa gap signals acute undersupply — the core investment thesis.
HEFA vs Jet-A Premium
Live production cost premium for HEFA-route SAF over conventional Jet-A. Calculated in real-time from UCO/tallow prices: (UCO × 1.30 + $360 processing) ÷ Jet-A ref. Updates automatically when feedstock prices refresh.
Pipeline Capacity
Total confirmed SAF production capacity across all tracked projects — operating + under construction + FEED + announced. Aggregated live from the plant database on every data refresh.
Why this matters for investors and offtakers: The signal bar condenses the key market thesis into one persistent view. Regulatory countdowns show when demand is mandated. The supply gap shows how much remains uncontracted. The HEFA premium shows what price premium the market will need to sustain. Together they answer: "Why act now?"
KPI Strip integration: Two additional KPI tiles reflect Signal Bar data — HEFA Premium (shows the % premium calculated from live UCO prices) and ReFuelEU 6% (shows the countdown in days). Both update automatically with every data refresh.
15
FX Currency Switcher
All feedstock prices are sourced in USD. The currency switcher in the topbar converts every price display across the terminal to your preferred currency — feedstock cards, ticker, and detail panels all update simultaneously.
1
Select a currency
Click any of the 5 currency buttons in the topbar status area: USD EUR GBP JPY CHF. The active currency is highlighted orange.
2
Live exchange rate applied
Exchange rates are fetched from frankfurter.app (European Central Bank data) on page load and refreshed every 5 minutes. The current rate is displayed next to the switcher: 1 USD = 0.9234 EUR.
3
Everything updates
The feedstock price grid, ticker strip, detail panel big price, and unit conversion matrix all re-render in the selected currency. The currency symbol in price labels also updates (e.g. EUR/t instead of USD/t).
4
Preference saved
Your selected currency is stored in localStorage under efuels_fx_currency and automatically restored on every visit.
| Currency | Symbol | Exchange source | Decimals |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD — US Dollar | $ | Base currency (no conversion) | 2 |
| EUR — Euro | € | ECB via frankfurter.app | 2 |
| GBP — Pound Sterling | £ | ECB via frankfurter.app | 2 |
| JPY — Japanese Yen | ¥ | ECB via frankfurter.app | 0 |
| CHF — Swiss Franc | Fr | ECB via frankfurter.app | 2 |
Fallback rates: If the live rate API is unreachable, the terminal uses hardcoded ECB reference rates (EUR 0.92, GBP 0.79, JPY 149.50, CHF 0.90). A network connection is required for live rates. Rates auto-refresh every 5 minutes while the terminal is open.
16
Unit Conversion Matrix
When you open any feedstock in the detail panel, the price box expands to show a 6-cell conversion matrix — the same commodity price expressed in every unit relevant to SAF procurement, production economics, and energy trading.
Example — Used Cooking Oil at USD 1,015/t
USD/t · EUR/t · GBP/t
The same price in the three major procurement currencies, converted using live ECB exchange rates. Always in sync with the active FX selection.
USD/MWh
Price normalized to energy content (MWh of lower heating value). Enables direct comparison across feedstocks with different physical forms — liquid, solid, gaseous.
USD/GJ
The standard energy economics unit used in SAF LCAF calculations, carbon pricing models, and EU ETS cost comparisons. Derived from the MWh value (÷ 3.6).
¢/kWh
Useful for power-to-liquid (PtL) pathway economics where electricity cost is the dominant variable. Directly comparable to industrial electricity tariffs.
Energy density assumptions: When the database does not provide a normalized MWh value, the system uses commodity-class defaults — UCO/Tallow: 10.3 MWh/t · Methanol: 5.53 MWh/t · Ethanol: 7.44 MWh/t · Green H₂: 33.3 MWh/t · Wood Pellets: 4.7 MWh/t · MSW: 3.8 MWh/t. These are based on lower heating values (LHV).
HEFA Production Cost Estimate
For HEFA-pathway feedstocks (UCO, tallow, cooking oil, palm), the detail panel shows an additional SAF production cost estimate banner below the conversion matrix.
HEFA Production Cost Estimate
Est. SAF cost (HEFA)USD 1,681/t
Jet-A benchmarkUSD 850/t
Premium vs Jet-A+98%
Assumes 1.30 t feedstock/t SAF · USD 360/t processing · Jet-A ref. USD 850/t
1
Formula
SAF cost = feedstock price × 1.30 + $360/t
The 1.30 factor represents feedstock conversion efficiency (HEFA yield ~77%). The $360/t covers CAPEX amortisation, hydrogen input, and operating costs for a modern HEFA refinery.
The 1.30 factor represents feedstock conversion efficiency (HEFA yield ~77%). The $360/t covers CAPEX amortisation, hydrogen input, and operating costs for a modern HEFA refinery.
2
Jet-A reference
The benchmark Jet-A price of $850/t is a mid-cycle reference. The premium calculation shows how far SAF costs exceed conventional jet fuel — the fundamental market risk for airlines and the opportunity premium for producers with offtake secured above this level.
3
Signal Bar update
When a HEFA feedstock detail is opened, the calculated premium automatically updates the HEFA vs Jet-A Signal Bar item and the HEFA Premium KPI tile so the value is always visible at the top of the dashboard.
Investment context: A HEFA SAF premium of +80–120% vs Jet-A is the current market reality. This gap is covered by a combination of regulatory blending mandates (airlines must buy), carbon credits, and government incentives (IRA tax credits in the US, EU state aid). The unit matrix and cost estimate help you model exactly what margin a specific feedstock procurement price leaves after SAF production — critical for offtake pricing negotiations.
13
Mobile Experience
On screens below 640px the terminal switches to a single-panel mobile layout with a bottom navigation bar. The multi-column grid collapses to a stacked flex column.
Bottom Tab Bar
Four tabs — Plants, Prices, Regulatory, Detail — switch instantly between panels. The active tab turns orange.
Detail Overlay
Selecting a plant or feedstock on mobile slides the detail panel in as a full-screen overlay. Use the ← back button to return.
Scrollable KPI Strip
The KPI strip becomes horizontally scrollable on mobile — swipe to see all 8 headline metrics.
Simplified Tables
Plant table shows Name, Route, and Status columns only. Feedstock grid collapses to single column with larger price display.
Drag handles and column resizing are automatically hidden on mobile screens — these features require a pointer device and are not available on touch interfaces.