Manchester Airport in the UK is set to become the first hub in the UK to have a direct feed of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as a result of its partnership with Fulcrum BioEnergy Limited UK.
The agreement between Manchester Airport Group (MAG), which owns and operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports, and Fulcrum will support the development and delivery of SAF produced at a new waste to fuels biorefinery in Stanlow, Cheshire. In line with the agreement, SAF will be supplied to Manchester Airport through a pipeline that already runs between the Stanlow refinery and the UK’s third largest gateway.
As a pioneer in the conversion of non-recyclable residual wastes into sustainable fuels, Fulcrum NorthPoint (as the Stanlow plant is called) is part of wider plans to establish the North West as the leading producer of SAF in the UK.
“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,” said Neil Robinson, MAG CSR and Airspace Change Director.
“The introduction of SAF is 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.”
Fulcrum and MAG’s partnership will work to deliver on the opportunity SAF presents to decarbonise the aviation industry and could see up to 10% of the fuel used by aircraft at Manchester Airport replaced with SAF within five years of the Fulcrum NorthPoint facility becoming operational. Airlines operating from Manchester will have the ability to use SAF to help toward the decarbonisation of their flights.
Fulcrum NorthPoint will produce around 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 CO2 footprint at least 70% 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.
Jeff Ovens, Fulcrum Bioenergy Limited UK Managing Director commented: “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 cementing 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.”
