Alkagesta UK: driving biofuels growth and investment strategy from London

Alkagesta continues to advance its global energy transition strategy with focused investment in bio-feedstocks within its biofuels portfolio, led by the experienced investment management team of Alkagesta UK.

LONDON, Oct. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Established in 2024, Alkagesta UK operates at the nexus of M&A activity, capital flows, and investment structuring. The subsidiary was formed by onboarding a leadership team from Bulge Bracket investment banking and global multi-asset brokerage firms, bringing deep expertise in governance, risk management, and long-term investment strategy—aimed at reinforcing Alkagesta's trading competencies through strategic asset acquisition and financial discipline.

"London offers a unique blend of financial sophistication and institutional trust. Alkagesta UK was built to harness that environment for disciplined growth and long-term value creation. Our ambition is to scale non-organically by aligning structured investments with the energy transition," said Orkhan Rustamov, CEO of Alkagesta.

This move reflects Alkagesta's ongoing commitment to sustainable financial growth within the global commodities industry. The leadership team driving non-organic growth brings extensive experience in structured finance, institutional relationship management, and capital markets.

The UK subsidiary represents a strategic step toward consolidating and aligning investment decision-making across Alkagesta's international offices. Operating within one of the world's most mature financial ecosystems, Alkagesta UK benefits from proximity to leading advisors, legal experts, and institutional investors—creating a robust platform for executing cross-border transactions and structured deals.

In the first half of 2025 alone, the UK investment sector recorded over £71 billion in disclosed deal value, with nearly 88% of transactions falling within the sub-£100 million range (MarketIQ Report, H1 2025). Private equity activity surged, accounting for 72% of all deals—a 90% increase over the previous year. This dynamic environment reinforces London's role as a global hub for strategic capital deployment, making it an ideal base for Alkagesta's expansion into structured finance and ESG-aligned investments.

"Governance and risk management are not just safeguards—they're strategic enablers. Alkagesta UK was designed to embed these principles into every investment decision, ensuring resilience and credibility across our global operations," noted Mark Seccombe, Board Member, Alkagesta.

In line with Alkagesta's broader investment vision, the UK team has taken a leading role in the company's biofuels expansion, integrating its investment in a used cooking oil (UCO) processing facility into a global trading strategy. The plant produces bio-feedstock compliant with EU biodiesel standards. It contributes directly to the decarbonization targets outlined in the EU's Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), which mandates a 14.5% reduction in transport fuel emissions intensity and a 5.5% sub-target for renewable hydrogen and advanced biofuels by 2030.

"Bio-feedstocks are not just a compliance tool - they're a strategic asset. Our goal is to scale responsibly while contributing to Europe's decarbonization roadmap," said Pierre Gay, Board Member, Alkagesta.

Biofuel feedstocks - particularly waste-based inputs like UCO, animal fats, and greases - are increasingly critical to meeting these targets. According to CME Group, approximately 46% of the EU's vegetable oil supply is now used in biodiesel production, with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) volumes expanding rapidly due to their exemption from blend limits. The EU's total biodiesel production capacity reached 21.5 million tons in 2023, with major contributions from Germany, Spain, and France.

"Coming from a background in global investment banking, I see long-term value creation as the cornerstone of Alkagesta's biofuels strategy. The decision to focus on feedstocks - especially with the scale of investment in biofuels infrastructure globally—is not only compelling, it's essential to building a resilient and future-proof energy portfolio," said Asad Huseynov, Managing Director, Investment & Asset Management, Alkagesta.

In parallel, Alkagesta is developing a series of ESG-driven investment initiatives and joint ventures focused on trading infrastructure, including logistics networks, energy storage, and digital transparency in commodity flows. These projects, led by Alkagesta UK, reinforce the company's mission to combine responsible investment with financial innovation and operational resilience.

Information about the company

Since its founding in 2018, Alkagesta has established partnerships with 28 international banks, expanded to 42 countries, and facilitated trade flows of more than 7 million metric tons of commodities annually. The company also operates an extensive logistics network, with access to over 700,000 cubic meters of storage capacity in Europe and Asia.

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