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Altalto (Immingham) Limited, backed by the UK government\u2019s \u00a327 million funding, advances its waste-to-sustainable aviation fuel project, promising to cut emissions and power over 500 transatlantic flights a year with the country\u2019s most advanced commercial-scale facility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Altalto (Immingham) Limited, a subsidiary of Velocys, has received funding from the UK Department for Transport’s Advanced Fuels Fund to advance the Basic Engineering Design of its flagship waste-to-sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facility. The project aims to produce 30 million litres of SAF annually, derived from residual waste streams, enough to power over 500 flights between London and New York each year. This initiative is positioned as the UK’s most advanced commercial-scale municipal solid waste-to-SAF plant and one of the closest to realisation globally.<\/p>\n
The funding enables Altalto to integrate NEXTCHEM’s NX Circular\u2122 gasification and NX CPO\u2122 technology with Velocys’ proven microFTL\u2122 Fischer\u2013Tropsch synthesis solution. These technologies collectively transform residual waste into SAF while reducing over 100,000 tonnes of CO\u2082-equivalent emissions annually. This reduction supports the UK\u2019s SAF Mandate, which mandates that 10% of jet fuel consumed must come from sustainable sources by 2030. The project has secured planning consent and all key technological partners, including waste supply, gasification, and upgrading systems, aiming to complete the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phase by early 2026.<\/p>\n
Velocys CEO Matthew Viergutz expressed optimism about the project’s progress, highlighting government confidence in the technology. NEXTCHEM’s Managing Director, Fabio Fritelli, emphasised the flexibility and validity of their technological approach in meeting the decarbonisation needs of the aviation sector.<\/p>\n
Additional context from Velocys indicates that the Altalto Immingham project targets a production capacity of 20 million gallons (approximately 75.7 million litres) of SAF annually, with an estimated greenhouse gas reduction of 150% compared to conventional jet fuel. The SAF produced is projected to save around 350,000 tonnes of CO\u2082 emissions per year, which is a significant climate impact. Planning consent has been granted, and the project already secured \u00a327 million from the Advanced Fuels Fund to support the FEED phase. The SAF output cited by Velocys elsewhere suggests the initial figures may evolve or refer to different phases or measurements, with a broader aim to power over 1,000 London-to-New York flights per year.<\/p>\n
The financial underpinning includes a \u00a327 million grant from the Department for Transport, contingent upon matched private sector funding, with a first tranche expected in April 2023. The construction phase is anticipated to begin in 2025, with commissioning set for 2027. This timeline aligns with broader governmental objectives under the \u00a3165 million Advanced Fuels Fund to stimulate the commercial deployment of innovative fuel production technologies, supporting at least five commercial-scale SAF plants under construction in the UK by 2025.<\/p>\n
Velocys has also benefited from earlier funding rounds, including a \u00a32.4 million grant under the Green Fuels, Green Skies competition to support project development, and a \u00a32.5 million grant aimed at leveraging its technology in a related UK e-fuels project, which focuses on producing sustainable aviation fuel from carbon dioxide and hydrogen. This latter project, titled ‘e-Alto’, involves partners such as Clariant Catalysts, Technip Energies, and British Airways, showcasing Velocys’ broader commitment to advancing various sustainable fuel pathways within the UK aviation sector.<\/p>\n
Together, these developments highlight a growing momentum in the UK\u2019s clean aviation fuel landscape, with Altalto positioned as a key commercial-scale demonstration of waste-to-SAF technology that could play a vital role in the sector\u2019s drive towards net-zero emissions.<\/p>\n