Five UK businesses, which are developing renewable aircraft fuel, will receive a share of £165m in government funding.
Airlines UK, LanzaTech, alfanar Global Development, Velocys and Fulcrum BioEnergy are to receive investment from the Advanced Fuels Fund.
Jeff Ovens, managing director, Fulcrum BioEnergy said: “This funding will help Fulcrum build on the technical knowledge and experience the company has gained from well over a decade of project development and the early operations of its US based, ‘Sierra BioFuels’ plant – the world’s first waste to sustainable hydrocarbon fuels facility.”
SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) plants based across the UK, including ones based in Teesside, Immingham and Ellesmere Port,
LanzaTech will use its renewable aircraft fuel investment for its carbon recycling tech which it refers to as “retrofitting a brewery onto an emission source”, to turn pollution into fuels and chemicals using bacteria.
“Using waste or by-products to refuel airliners sounds like a flight of fancy, but thanks to £165 million of government funding it’s going to help us make guilt-free flying a reality,” said Mark Harper, transport secretary.
Oxford-based Velocys currently has two sustainable fuel projects in Mississippi, USA and Immingham, UK that are creating fuel that creates less greenhouse gas emissions.
Henrik Wareborn, chief executive officer, Velocys, said: “Velocys is delighted to receive 2 grant awards from the Advanced Fuels Fund, which will help to accelerate the production of SAF at commercial scale in the UK using our technology.”
Last month the government spent £32m on five UK energy projects.