Max Winters

MSc Internship

Max Winters joined studio Gear Up for a six months internship, starting mid September 2025.

His internship marks the final stage of his MSc Governance of Sustainability Transformations at Wageningen University & Research (WUR). For his thesis, Max explored political inaction on alternative fuels and its implications for the EU shipping sector, which sparked his broader interest in the production of biofuels. At studio Gear Up, he aims to deepen his understanding of how these developments are reflected in EU directives, while also gaining practical skills such as carbon accounting.

Alongside his MSc study, Max worked as a strategy consultant at De Kleine Consultant (DKC). In this role, he advised organizations of all sizes on sustainability-focused strategies. This combination of academic research, regulatory focus, and hands-on consulting experience provides a strong foundation for his internship at studio Gear Up, where he is eager to further develop his expertise and contribute to the field of sustainable energy.

Publications

Analysis of SAF allowances (FEETS) – 2024-price update

February 2025, the European Commission adopted a new support mechanism on ‘SAF allowances’: used to bridge the price gap for the use of alternative fuels to accelerate the roll out of SAF.
We reviewed this mechanism in order to assess its expected impact on supporting the development of SAF market. We conclude that the policy design would require additional policy instruments to support the broader development of the SAF market.

Current POME-based biofuels in EU fall within current production potential

According to studio Gear Up’s numerical analysis, the current volume of POME-biofuels deployed in the EU are in the range of current production volumes of POME residues. We advise to keep a close look on the future volumes of POME-based biofuels, given the upper limits of production. Strengthening the information position of renewable fuels supply chains with more frequent auditing and historical data of POME-oil production are needed.

SAF allowances may not be the best instrument to ramp up SAF production

Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) are renewable fuels that replace fossil based kerosine in aircrafts and are seen as an important option to mitigate climate emissions in the aviation sector. Generally, these alternative fuels are more expensive than their fossil counterpart, kerosene. In order to support the uptake of SAF, the European Commission has introduced several policy instruments.