Completing AFF3: How the Starling Consortium Delivered a Major Engineering Milestone

The last 9 months have been big ones for the Starling Consortium, but what has it been like for those working on the ground floor of the project? We had a chat with the teams behind the milestone to hear what they had to say.

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1. What have been your proudest (or most fun) moments along the way?

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Alasdair (CNF): The most fun part of AFF3 was being able to continue working with such an exceptionally talented, good natured and hard working bunch of people. Our AFF3 work plan was ambitious, with a tight budget and timeline, but thanks to everyone’s stellar efforts, I’m proud to say that we achieved everything we set out to, including arriving at our Class 3 cost estimate and 3D Model (another highlight!).
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Graham (io): Looking back, I take real satisfaction from having worked through the project phases following a logical process, trying to ensure we make good decisions by putting in place an appropriate level of technical definition for each step along the way, evaluating different options and gaining consensus before moving forwards. It's been great working with CNF, our consortium lead, who have fully bought into the Front End Loading stage-gated approach.
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Oriana (MZT): One of my favourite moments was welcoming the CNF team to our labs in London. Their curiosity and thoughtful questions made for a really engaging visit. What made it especially rewarding was seeing our researchers and scientists — people who often work quietly behind the scenes — get to share their expertise directly and showcase what they do. That visibility matters.
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Stephanie (CNF): I am really proud of the monumental and collaborative effort from all the different teams and licensors for a facility that is truly first of a kind. It is really satisfying to see a project progress from the early development phase to FEL 3A completion. The showstopper moment for me was seeing the 3D model develop from the early stages to a very well defined and detailed model bringing the project one step closer to FID.
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Brad (MZT): It's been inspiring to be part of teams across organisations, working on problems that are not only genuinely hard but genuinely important. Seeing what DAC to SAF looks like at a meaningful scale is pretty incredible.
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Toby (MZT): Honestly, just being part of this project at all is something to be proud of! But if I had to pick a moment, it was seeing — and really taking in— the sheer volume of work that went into producing a full set of P&IDs and a HAZOP for the plant. After months of smaller, iterative steps, that felt like something real. Everyone in the consortium has worked hard to produce a study they can genuinely stand behind.
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Reynold (io): The proudest moment I had would be going through the HAZOP with my P&ID (Piping and Instrumentation) drawings. As a process engineer going through a HAZOP (Hazard and Operability Study) is important as it assures everyone involved the design of the equipment and facility is safe and risks are mitigated. I've sat and participated in HAZOPs before but this time it was my designs and P&IDs that were being evaluated so I had a very hands-on approach in the meetings. Made me feel very senior and let me use my project experience to the fullest. I'd also say the io BOP (Balance of Plant) HAZOP workshops were the most fun as it was just io, CNF and the HAZOP chair in the meetings so it was more informal.
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Izzy (CNF): I’m so proud of how we rolled with the punches and tackled the mountain of paperwork as one cohesive team (thanks Danielle and Oriana for always responding kindly and quickly to my endless questions!). My favourite moments were definitely events like the 'AFF-ter party,' where I got to learn more about you as people and celebrate all our hard work!
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Sophie (CNF): Whenever I think of the Project Starling team I well up with pride! This exceptional team shows up every single day delivering world class engineering in a creative, compassionate and forward-thinking manner. We're blazing through the milestones - not long now until we're hitting launch!

2. Any surprises, or have any aspects turned out differently than you imagined?
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Graham, (io): This probably shouldn't come as a surprise, but it’s been wonderful to work alongside so many fantastic engineers across CNF’s technology partners. There’s a huge amount of expertise and commitment driving sustainable aviation fuel forward. It’s exciting to see how different projects are progressing toward execution, and I very much hope Project Starling will be among the first.
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Brad (MZT): What's struck me is how straight everyone has played it — honest about the challenges and willing to work through the hard stuff together, without ego getting in the way. That's rarer than it should be, and it's been really refreshing.
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George (MZT): Working through the HAZOP with CNF was genuinely valuable. We came away with actions to simplify the design even further and make it more inherently safe — which is always the goal.
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Oriana (MZT): This was my first collaboration with CNF since joining Mission Zero, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was genuinely impressed by how flexible, open, and supportive the whole environment turned out to be. Working with CNF and io consulting has been a very positive, energising experience — and one I hope we can build on in the future.
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Stephanie (CNF): This project could have been a project consisting of multiple siloed work fronts, however this has not been the case at all. I have been surprised and impressed at the high level of collaboration and professionalism between the different licensors and engineering contractors. Interface management always tends to be a challenge in a project and this has been handled with great success.
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Alasdair (CNF): The flexibility and support of all our partners, who went above and beyond to deliver more than we thought possible. People truly believe in what we’re trying to achieve and that has been the most rewarding part of this whole process.
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Sophie (CNF): I've learned to always expect surprises now, that's the beauty of project development. But navigating the smallest and largest of challenges with a fantastic team makes them exciting.

3. If you had to describe the energy of this consortium in three words, what would they be?

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Collaborative, focused, trusting, Energetic, ambitious, experienced, Dedicated, motivated, collaborative, Progressive, collaborative, dynamic, ‘Endlessly Positive Vibe’, Resilient, motivated, collaborative, positive, diligent, professional, unstoppable, cohesive, tenacious

Completing AFF3: How the Starling Consortium Delivered a Major Engineering Milestone

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