Manchester Airport will become the first in the UK to have a direct feed of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) thanks to a partnership between Manchester Airports Group plc (MAG) and Fulcrum BioEnergy Ltd UK (Fulcrum). MAG – the owner of Manchester, London Stansted, and East Midlands airports, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fulcrum, which will support the development and delivery of SAF produced at a new waste to fuels biorefinery, in Stanlow, Cheshire.
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Fulcrum BioEnergy Ltd UK is a subsidiary of US-headed Fulcrum Bioenergy, Inc., a pioneer in the conversion of non-recyclable residual wastes into sustainable fuels. The company has recently completed the construction of its Sierra BioFuels W2F plant in Reno, Nevada (NV).
The new biorefinery in the UK, Fulcrum NorthPoint, is part of wider plans to establish the North West as the leading producer of SAF in the UK. The Fulcrum NorthPoint facility is in development at Stanlow and will be unique in the UK SAF industry.
The project will use proven technologies currently being deployed at its facility in Nevada, therefore significantly reducing typical ‘first of a kind’ risks normally associated with new technology.
Direct SAF supply to Manchester Airport
In addition, Fulcrum was recently shortlisted for funding from the Department for Transport’s ‘Green Fuels, Green Skies’ competition, the proceeds of which will help develop the NorthPoint project further.
As part of the agreement – backed by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng – SAF will be supplied to Manchester Airport through a pipeline that already runs between Stanlow and the UK’s third-largest gateway.
The partnership will also work to support a sustainable recovery from the pandemic, promoting green skills and jobs across the region.
This partnership is a huge leap forward for the long-term competitiveness of Britain’s aerospace sector, demonstrating how, by going green, the industry can create jobs and help level up across the UK. Cleaner aerospace and aviation are at the centre of our plans to end the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050. That is why we are backing sustainable aviation fuel with £180 million (≈ EUR 212.48 million) of support and working with industry to turbocharge low carbon aerospace innovation with £3.9 billion (≈ EUR 4.6 billion), Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:
MAG is the UK’s largest group of airports and will also use its new partnership with Fulcrum to explore opportunities to supply SAF to its other two airports at London Stansted and East Midlands.
The agreement between Fulcrum and Manchester Airports Group has the potential to be a transformative step forward for sustainable aviation, for the Ellesmere Port industrial area, and for the North West. Subject to a robust planning process and extensive engagement with communities, Fulcrum can support West Cheshire’s ambition to become a world-leading location for clean growth, create high-quality STEM jobs within the region and support the decarbonization of a hard-to-reach sector, said Councillor Louise Gittins, Cheshire West, and Chester Council.
Up to 10 percent of aviation fuel
The partnership will provide airlines operating from Manchester Airport – the UK’s third busiest airport – the ability to use SAF to help toward the decarbonization of their flights, and could see up to 10 percent of the fuel used by aircraft at Manchester Airport replaced with SAF within five years of the Fulcrum NorthPoint facility becoming operational.
Today really is a landmark moment in our journey towards a decarbonized aviation sector. By working towards a future supply of SAF, direct to Manchester Airport via existing pipelines from a local refinery, we’re making sustainable operations accessible for airlines based here. The introduction of SAF is a testament to the innovation we have seen, and the collaboration between airports, airlines, the Government, and suppliers like Fulcrum to achieve real progress towards our goal of Net Zero for UK aviation by 2050. We are committed to ensuring that this progress continues through our role on the Government’s Jet Zero Council, on Sustainable Aviation, and through our own targets in our CSR Strategy where we’re working to become Net Zero at our airports by 2038, Neil Robinson, MAG CSR, and Airspace Change Director said.
Once operational, Fulcrum NorthPoint will produce approximately 100 million litres of SAF per year – which when blended 50/50 with traditional jet fuel, could fill the fuel tanks of approximately 1 200 Boeing 777-300s.
The fuel produced will have a carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint at least 70 percent lower than that of its traditional jet fuel equivalent and will be produced from residual household and commercial wastes, which would otherwise be destined for landfill or incineration.
Once blended and certified, the SAF can be used in aircraft without the need for modifications.
Support for SAF in the UK has reached new heights and the development of the Fulcrum NorthPoint SAF facility in Cheshire will bring significant volumes of much-needed low carbon fuel for airlines, either those based here in the UK or flying in from overseas. Our partnership with MAG as an airport operator will bridge airlines and fuel suppliers and make SAF accessible and more widespread within the sector. This collaboration will also support our ambition to cement the North West as a centre for excellence for SAF in the UK, driving forward the Prime Minister’s 10 point plan for an industrial revolution. The aviation industry is working hard towards the Net Zero 2050 target, and through our joint work on the Jet Zero Council alongside the Government, SAF will play an integral role in achieving it, said Jeff Ovens, Managing Director, Fulcrum Bioenergy Ltd UK.
