August 20, 2019 10.41 am This story is over 55 months old

Plans for UK’s first commercial waste to jet fuel plant — in Lincolnshire

Planning application has been submitted

View from the North. Photo: Altalto Immingham Limited

Plans have been submitted to develop the UK and Europe’s first commercial waste to jet fuel plant at a site in Immingham.

Altalto Immingham Limited, a subsidiary of renewable fuels company Velocys and a collaboration with British Airways and Shell, has submitted a planning application to North East Lincolnshire Council to develop the site close to the Humber Estuary.

Altalto aim to have the plant in operation in the mid 2020s. Subject to planning permission being granted and to funding, work on site will begin in 2021, with the plant expected to be fully operational and the first fuel produced in around 2024.

The development is also anticipated to bring hundreds of millions of pounds of investment. It will also bring hundreds of jobs during construction and around 130 permanent jobs to the region.

The proposed plant will take hundreds of thousands of tonnes of household and commercial solid waste and turn it into clean burning sustainable aviation fuel.

View looking East. Photo: Altalto Immingham Limited

The technology built by Velocys will reduce net greenhouse gases by 70% compared to the fossil fuel equivalent, which is believed to be equal to taking up to 40,000 cars per year off the road. It also offers a lower emissions route to process UK waste than incineration or landfill.

British Airways intends to purchase jet fuel produced at the plant for use in its aircraft.

The fuel will also improve air quality with up to 90% reduction in soot from aircraft engine exhausts and almost 100% reduction in sulphur oxides.

View looking North-East. Photo: Altalto Immingham Limited

Alex Cruz, British Airways Chairman and CEO, said: “The submission of the planning application marks a major milestone in this project and we are delighted with the progress being made. Sustainable fuels can be a game changer for aviation which will help power our aircraft for years to come.

“This development is an important step in the reduction of our carbon emissions and meeting the industry targets of carbon neutral growth from 2020, and a 50% in CO2 reduction by 2050 from 2005 levels. It also brings the UK another step closer to becoming a global leader in sustainable aviation fuels.”

Henrik Wareborn, CEO at Velocys, said: “Velocys has a solution to decarbonise aviation fuel by converting an unwanted feedstock – household and commercial solid waste – to create a highly valuable product: sustainable transport fuels.

“This will cut greenhouse gas emissions from aviation, as well as improving air quality and helping to tackle our waste problem. This is a vital step towards the ultimate goal of living in a net zero carbon world by the middle of the century.”