Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF) competition winners
Updated 9 January 2024
© Crown copyright 2024
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advanced-fuels-fund-competition-winners/advanced-fuels-fund-aff-competition-winners
Winning proposals for window 2 of the Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF) competition were announced on 17 November 2023.
The winning proposals for window 1 of the AFF competition were announced on 22 December 2022.
Government has allocated over £135 million for the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production plants in the UK.
The following projects have been awarded funding.
Window 2: winning organisations
Abundia Biomass-to-Liquids (Jet – AB2L)
Based in Teesside, the project is developing a demonstration plant that uses pyrolysis and hydrotreatment technology to convert sawmill and forestry residues into SAF. The plant is expected to be operational in 2026 and produce 2.6 kt/y of SAF when at full operational capacity.
Award: £4,484,000
Alfanar Energy (Lighthouse Green Fuels)
Based in the Industrial Cluster at Teesside, the project is developing a commercial scale plant that uses gasification and Fischer-Tropsch technology to convert biogenic and non-biogenic wastes and residues into SAF. The plant is expected to be under construction in 2025, operational in 2028, and produce 124.2 kt/y of SAF when at full operational capacity.
This plant was supported in earlier development stages by the Green Fuels, Green Skies competition that made £15 million available over the 2021 to 2022 financial year.
Alfanar was also supported in the first window of the AFF. Their second window award is focused on the third funding year for activity that is not covered by their first window award.
Award: £8,664,000
Arcadia e-Fuels (NABOO)
Based in Teesside, the project is developing a commercial scale plant that uses power-to-liquid technology to convert biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) and green hydrogen into SAF. The plant is expected to be operational in 2028 and produce 67.7 kt/y of SAF when at full operational capacity.
Award: £12,341,000
Carbon Neutral Fuels (ASAP-DAC)
This project is developing a demonstration plant that uses power-to-liquid technology to convert direct air capture CO2 and green hydrogen into SAF. The plant is expected to be operational in 2027 and scale up to 12 kt/y of SAF when at full operational capacity.
Award: £1,376,000
Esso Petroleum Company (Solent SAF)
Based in the Solent, the project is conducting a feasibility study into a commercial scale plant that uses gasification and methanol-to-jet technology to convert non-recyclable waste into SAF. The plant is expected to be operational in 2030 and produce 179 kt/y of SAF when at full operational capacity.
Award: £6,065,000
Nova Pangaea Technologies (Project Speedbird)
Based in Wilton at Teesside, the project is developing a commercial scale plant that uses pyrolysis and ethanol-to-jet technology to convert agricultural and wood waste into SAF. The plant is expected to be operational in 2025 and produce 2.7 kt/y of SAF when at full operational capacity.
Award: £9,063,015
OXCCU Tech (OXEFUEL BIOGENIC)
Based in Sheffield’s Translational Energy Research Centre, the project is developing a demonstration plant that uses power-to-liquid technology to convert biogenic CO2 and green hydrogen into SAF. The project also includes the design of a commercial scale plant, expected to be operational in 2026 and produce 7.4 kt/y of SAF when at full operational capacity.
Award: £2,814,000
Willis Sustainable Fuels (Carbonshift PtL)
Based in Teesside, the project is developing a commercial scale plant that uses power-to-liquid technology to convert CO2 and green hydrogen into SAF. The plant is expected to be operational in 2026 and produce 14 kt/y of SAF when at full operational capacity.
Award: £4,721,000
Zero Petroleum (PMZ.2)
This project is developing both a demonstration production module operating in Orkney and a commercial scale plant that uses power-to-liquid technology to convert biogenic and direct air capture CO2 and green hydrogen into SAF. The commercial scale plant is expected to be operational in 2026 and produce 6.1 kt/y of SAF when at full operational capacity.
Award: £3,492,100
Window 1: winning organisations
Alfanar Energy Ltd (Lighthouse Green Fuels)
Based in the Industrial Cluster at Teesside, the project is developing a commercial scale plant that uses gasification and Fischer-Tropsch technology to convert black bin bag waste into SAF. The plant is expected to be operational in 2028 and produce 86.6 kt/y of SAF when at full operational capacity.
Award: £11,001,000
Fulcrum BioEnergy Ltd (NorthPoint)
Based in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, the project is developing a commercial scale plant that uses gasification and Fischer-Tropsch technology to convert black bin bag waste into SAF. The plant is expected to be operational in 2027 and produce 83.7 kt/y of SAF when at full operational capacity.
Award: £16,764,000
Lanzatech UK Ltd (DRAGON)
Based in Port Talbot, South Wales, the project is developing a commercial scale plant that converts steel mill off-gases into ethanol and then uses alcohol-to-jet technology to produce SAF. The plant is expected to be operational in 2026 and produce 79 kt/y of SAF when at full operational capacity.
Award: £24,960,843
Velocys plc (Altalto)
Based in Immingham, Lincolnshire, the project is developing a commercial scale plant that uses gasification and Fischer-Tropsch technology to convert black bin bag waste into SAF. The plant is expected to be operational in 2028 and produce 37.4 kt/y of SAF when at full operational capacity.
Award: £27,000,000
Velocys plc (e-Alto)
This project is developing a large demonstration plant that uses power-to-liquid technology to convert carbon dioxide from a fossil gas-powered electricity plant and hydrogen made from renewable electricity into SAF.
Award: £2,523,094
Background
The competition provides grant funding to first-of-a-kind (FOAK) commercial and demonstration-scale projects in the UK at all development stages up to construction starting, including:
- parts of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC)
- front-end engineering and design (FEED)
- pre-front-end engineering and design (Pre-FEED)
- feasibility study
This grant funding will directly contribute towards to the establishment of a UK SAF industry. Research indicates that by 2035, the SAF sector could generate a gross value added of up to £1.8 billion annually and support up to 10,000 jobs.
This competition builds on the work of previous Department for Transport industry competitions, including the Advanced Biofuels Demonstration Competition (ABDC), the Future Fuels for Flight and Freight Competition (F4C) and the Green Fuels, Green Skies (GFGS) competition. All of which aimed to unlock future environmental and economic benefits that the advanced fuels industry can bring to the UK.
The Advanced Fuels Fund is being delivered with the support of Ricardo Energy and Environment and ERM.