Teessiders are being given the chance to have their say on one of the biggest green energy investments in the region.

Lighthouse Green Fuels Ltd is owned by Alfanar Group, a global company specialising in project development, manufacturing, and engineering. Alfanar is investing over £1 billion in its Billingham site, which will manufacture Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

During the construction period, Lighthouse Green Fuels will create up to 2,600 jobs. Once operational, it is expected to create approximately 840 full-time jobs in the UK, including 240 full-time jobs on the project site."

The project will convert waste and waste biomass into advanced SAF. This SAF will then be distributed to local airports and blended with conventional jet fuel to power flights around the world, saving up to 350,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

The facility will be the largest of its kind in Europe and convert over 1 million tonnes of waste and/or waste biomass every year into over 175 million litres of SAF - the equivalent of fuelling 25,000 short-haul flights to Europe, or 2,500 long-haul flights to destinations such as the Americas or Australia every year.

Noaman Al Adhami, UK Country Head of Alfanar, said: “Lighthouse Green Fuels will help to address the challenge of Net Zero by delivering an immediate and long-term solution to decarbonising the UK aviation industry.

"We are delighted to share our project proposals. Feedback is important to us and we would encourage anyone interested in Lighthouse Green Fuels to learn more about our plans, attend one of our public events and share your views.”

Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, said: “This is a fantastic project that sits at the heart of Teesside’s green industrial growth. Lighthouse Green Fuels will play a key role in decarbonising the aviation industry through the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Critically, the project will create over one thousand high quality jobs for local people across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.

"It is important that local people have the opportunity to help shape the project and share their views on the proposals.”

The public consultation will run until 20 June, with a series of public information events to meet the project team and view the consultation materials. There are three face-to-face events and three online webinars during this period, including:

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  • Billingham Forum, Town Centre, The Causeway, Stockton-on-Tees, Billingham TS23 2LJ 1 June 2024 12:00 to 17:00
  • High Clarence Primary School, Port Clarence Road, Middlesbrough TS2 1SY 5 June 2024 15:00 to 20:00
  • Billingham Rugby Club, Greenwood Rd, Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees TS23 4BA  6 June 2024 10:00 to 17:00
  • Online webinar  28 May 2024 18:30 to 20:00
  • Online webinar 4 June 2024 10:00 to 11:30
  • Online webinar  12 June 2024 10:00 to 11:30

You can register for a webinar by emailinginfo@lgf.co.uk or calling 0800 157 7346.

The Billingham site was previously permitted to process household and commercial waste via an energy-from-waste gasification facility, constructed by Air Products. Currently a brownfield site, it will be repurposed for the new LGF SAF refinery, which is progressing through the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phase of development.