The commercial court of Évry has declared the judicial liquidation of the French company Global Bioenergies, specialised in the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), after rejecting both takeover proposals submitted during its administration procedure.
The start-up stated that neither bid met the court’s criteria. The first offer, which did not include any job retention, was dismissed on that basis, while the second was considered inadequate for ensuring satisfactory operational continuity. A judicial liquidator has been appointed to organise the sale of the company’s assets, including its portfolio of technological patents.
Stock market failure and delisting
Global Bioenergies has simultaneously begun the process of delisting from the Euronext Growth market in Paris. The company announced that its shares will become worthless, resulting in a total loss for its shareholders.
Based on a bacterial fermentation process to produce isobutene from renewable resources, the company had received certification in 2023 for the use of its SAF in aviation. In March 2025, tests were conducted with aerospace supplier Safran on the injection phase and with the French aerospace research centre Office national d’études et de recherches aérospatiales (Onera) on the combustion phase.
A strategic sector facing high costs
The aviation sector accounts for between 2% and 3% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and alternative fuels are seen as one of the few available solutions to reduce its environmental impact in the short term.
SAFs can be produced from biomass, used cooking oils or hydrogen derived from low-carbon electricity. However, these processes remain technically complex and expensive, currently limiting their large-scale deployment.
Increasing regulatory pressure on airlines
Since 2025, European Union regulations have required at least 2% of jet fuel for flights departing EU airports to be composed of SAF. This share is expected to reach 6% by 2030, and progressively rise to 70% by 2050, forcing airlines and suppliers to scale up quickly.
The withdrawal of Global Bioenergies highlights the difficulty emerging players face in establishing themselves in a market that is still in its early stages, despite tightening regulations and growing industry interest.
