Alfanar and N+P Group to work together on green aviation fuel plans

Alfanar and N+P Group said they will work together to source and process up to one million tonnes per year of non-recyclable waste to be used to create feedstock pellets which can then be used to produce green jet fuel, also known as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

Recyclable and inert materials will be removed, before the waste is dried and turned into high carbon content pellets. The pellets will then be converted into SAF at Alfanar’s Lighthouse Green Fuels facility in Teesside, which is due to be operational in 2028 and will create over 1,000 jobs during construction before employing 240 people locally when operational.

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The Echo understands the plant will be based at the former Air Products site at Port Clarence.

To process the waste, up to three further processing facilities will be built across the country – with locations dependent on where the waste is sourced from. Everyday non-recyclable household and business rubbish, contaminated recycling loads and MRF residues can all be sorted by N+P for use in the process, instead of the rubbish being sent to landfill, burnt in incinerators or exported.Taken together, this solution will produce SAF that can be used in today’s aircraft engines and refuelling infrastructure with no modifications. It will produce 165 million litres of SAF, equivalent to 2,500 long-haul flights or 25,000 short-haul flights per year - enough to meet 10% of the UK 2030 SAF target.

How the Lighthouse site could look (Image: Press release)

Noaman Al Adhami, Country Head UK, Alfanar said: “Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) delivers 80% greenhouse gas lifecycle emissions savings compared to conventional kerosene, but fuel produced at our facility will deliver up to 200% savings with access to Teesside’s Carbon Capture and Storage infrastructure.

"This means Lighthouse Green Fuels will not only be the biggest SAF production facility in the UK when operational, but the UK’s first negative emissions SAF project, and therefore a critical contributor to the UK Government’s 2030 SAF targets.

With the third largest aviation network in the world, a third of Europe’s carbon storage capacity, and readily available waste feedstock, the UK is perfectly positioned to be a world leader in SAF production. We look forward to making this a reality by delivering this project, and others that will follow.”

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Lars Jennissen, Chief Development Officer, N+P Group said: “We specialise in creating value out of things that others literally throw away. Our focus is to ensure we recycle as much as we can, but also to look for opportunities to create value from the things that can’t be recycled.

"Our new partnership with Alfanar enables us to take non-recyclable household and commercial waste and convert it into pellets, which can then be used to produce sustainable aviation fuel. We maximise the usage of these materials which have already had a life in the value chain.

"We are now actively looking to secure long-term waste supply contracts with waste companies and local councils from across the UK for this project, for what will be Europe’s biggest waste processing facility by tonnage. Next to this we aim to develop at least three new production facilities in the country in the next two years.”