- Government delivering Plan for Change by growing green
industries and creating skilled local jobs.
- £25.9million Government funding driving innovation in
Teesside to develop green fuels.
- Part of £198million Government investment into British-made
SAF to cut emissions and boost the economy.
The Government's commitment to creating jobs, growing the
economy, and delivering greener air travel was highlighted
yesterday when the Transport Secretary visited Nova Pangaea
Technologies (NPT) in Redcar.
During the visit, the Secretary of State toured NPT's
demonstration plant to see part of the process of how everyday
waste materials, such as wood offcuts and farming waste are
transformed into ethanol and biochar. NPT project partners
LanzaJet, who received £10million in Government support through
the Advanced Fuel Fund, are developing Project Speedbird
nearby which can then convert ethanol into SAF, creating a
sustainable fuel fit for the future of flying.
The Secretary of State then chaired a roundtable with local
leaders, SAF producers, airlines and investors including IAG, the
National Wealth Fund and the Renewable Transport Fuel
Association, to explore how Government policies are unlocking
private investment and creating green growth across the North
East.
Speaking after the visit, the Secretary of State for
Transport, said:
“Teesside is flying when it comes to green growth, creating
skilled jobs, boosting the economy, and leading the way on
cutting emissions.
“Nova Pangaea is a British success story, with everyday waste
transformed to support production of the green fuels that will
power the future of aviation. We're backing this innovation as
part of our plan to grow the economy and deliver the Plan for
Change.”
The SAF Mandate is already driving UK demand for sustainable fuel
by setting a legal obligation for industry to supply a proportion
of the green fuel each year, giving certainty to producers to
ramp up their production.
The Government is also taking decisive action to scale up UK-made
SAF by providing £198 million through the Advanced Fuels Fund to
support pioneering projects, including a £63 million investment
announced in July to
boost domestic production. Combined with the forthcoming Revenue
Certainty Mechanism which will guarantee a price producers
receive for eligible SAF, the Government is giving investors the
confidence to back new plants and a greener future for aviation.
Gary Bowdler, CEO of Nova Pangaea Technologies,
said:
“It was a proud moment for the team to host this visit by senior
government representatives to Teesside to see our demonstration
plant, and meet with key players in building this new industry.
NPT plans to build commercial production facilities in the UK to
enable the scale up of SAF, in collaboration with LanzaJet, to
British Airways and more broadly to the aviation sector in the
UK; as well as to export its proprietary technology to enable SAF
production internationally.”
Sophia Haywood, Director, EU & UK Government Affairs,
Policy & Sustainability at LanzaJet, said:
“LanzaJet are proud to be developing Project Speedbird, the UK's
first ethanol-to-jet plant, in partnership with British Airways,
in the heart of Teesside. Recently awarded £10m through the UK's
Advanced Fuels Fund, Project Speedbird is vital to building a
national SAF industry and to unlocking opportunity and innovation
in the North East region.
“With its rich industrial heritage and today's vision, Teesside
can become a world-leading hub for sustainable technologies.
Ethanol-to-Jet can play a key role here, delivering economic
growth and creating jobs, both directly and across the value
chain, while simultaneously reducing emissions in the aviation
industry and beyond.”
Jonathon Counsell, Group Sustainability Director at IAG,
said:
“We welcome the opportunity to join the discussion at Nova
Pangaea Technologies today, a business in which IAG has invested.
Scaling up UK SAF production will depend on continued
collaboration across government and industry.
"With SAF costing 3-5 times more than traditional jet fuel, we
see the need for RCM and other measures to encourage investment
in further SAF plants across the UK. These interventions are
critical in helping to bring down costs for airlines and our
passengers. IAG looks forward to collaborating with the
Government on the design of the RCM levy to ensure it is
effective, supports UK airlines' competitiveness, and helps
unlock investment in SAF production.”
Beyond SAF, the Government is supporting the growth and
modernisation of the UK's aviation sector, and on
Wednesday announced the next
steps for delivering a third runway at Heathrow to deliver drives
jobs, investment, and regional connectivity across the
country.
The Government is clear that aviation growth and decarbonisation
must go hand in hand ensuring new infrastructure is delivered in
line with the UK's legally binding climate targets, for which SAF
has a major role to play.
Notes to editors
- NPT project partner Lanza Jet received £10million in the most
recent round of Advanced Fuel Funding.
- NPT produce ethanol and biochar from agricultural and wood
waste through their patented REFNOVA process.
- LanzaJet then will use ethanol-to-jet technology to convert
advanced bioethanol into SAF.
