The blending facility at Redcliffe Bay in south-west England is expected to be operational from 2026.
Energy logistics company Exolum’s GBP 4.5 million investment will support the greening of the equivalent of up to 64,741 flights from London to New York. In line with the UK’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate ramping up to 10% by 2030, the new facility at Redcliffe Bay is part of wider plans for a UK-wide network of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blending hubs.
The Redcliffe Bay facility will be the first of multiple SAF blending hubs Exolum is planning as part of its 2,000km pipeline network, creating a SAF Superhighway to provide producers and importers with access to the jet fuel for 40% of flights leaving the UK’s airports.
Exolum’s UK fuel pipeline network currently delivers fuel to four out of 10 flights departing the UK each year. It delivers fuel for all flights from Stansted and Manchester Airports, around half of the flights from Gatwick and around a third of the flights from Heathrow. It also provides fuel supplies via road tankers for various regional airports, including Bristol, Exeter, Newquay and Cardiff.
The GBP4.5 million investment will, according to Exolum North West Europe Lead, Stephen Land, help turn the UK’s ambitions for greener flights into reality.
“The UK’s twin commitment to airport expansion and to increasing SAF supplies have been crucial in ensuring that, and we’re looking forward to not only supporting greener aviation but also the growth of the UK’s sustainable fuels industry,” Land said.
The energy logistic firm’s plans will enable long-term green investment in SAF production plants across the UK by providing a crucial, independent route to market for when the plants become operational.
For the Redcliffe Bay facility on the banks of the Severn Estuary near Bristol, unblended SAF will be delivered by ships to Bristol’s Royal Portbury Dock, before being transported to Exolum’s Redcliffe Bay site by pipeline. The SAF will then be stored and blended on-site with conventional aviation fuel to create a drop-in fuel distributed by Exolum’s pipeline system.
Plans to upgrade Exolum’s existing aviation fuel pipeline storage and pumping station at Redcliffe Bay include converting the existing storage tanks to handle SAF, installing a state-of-the-art blending infrastructure, and modifying existing systems by installing new pumps, filtration systems and segregation valves to circulate SAF between storage tanks and to pump into the pipeline network.
Dave Lees, CEO of Bristol Airport said: “It’s fantastic to see this investment in our region, with blending facilities being a vital part of the future SAF supply chain that we need to decarbonise aviation. We’ve committed to working with our airline customers to meet the UK’s SAF mandate as part of our aim to be a net zero airport by 2050.”
He was joined by Sadik Al Hassan MP sustainable aviation champion and MP for North Somerset, who noted that the GBP4.5 million investment “marks a significant boost for North Somerset.” He underlined it will support employment across the region’s sustainable aviation supply chain.
“The vision for a sustainable aviation fuel ‘superhighway’ links delivery hubs to where the green fuel is needed most across the country, making the region more attractive for green investment in sustainable fuel production. It’s a clear signal that the green transition isn’t just possible but here,” he concluded.
