Jet2 invests in Cheshire Sustainable Aviation Fuel production facility

Airline and travel group, Jet2 plc has announced a major investment into a new Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production facility in Cheshire.

The deal follows the 2021 announcement that Manchester Airport would be supplied directly by the site using existing jet fuel infrastructure, allowing the airline’s flights from the Northern hub to take advantage of this direct link, rather than the less sustainable road transport of aviation fuel.

Jet2 will invest an equity stake in the Fulcrum NorthPoint facility being developed in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, and receive approximately 200 million litres of waste-derived SAF over 15 years. The plant, being brought forward by Fulcrum Bioenergy Ltd will convert household waste into aviation fuel, reducing the carbon emissions of the airline by 400,000 tonnes over the 15 year agreement.

Production of SAF is expected to commence at the Ellesmere Port site in 2027, and when at full capacity 600,000 tonnes of non-recyclable household waste, which would otherwise have been destined for incineration or landfill, will be converted into around 100 million litres of SAF annually. The NorthPoint plant will use Fulcrum’s proven waste-to-fuel process and will directly benefit from the IP gained from operations of its pioneering first commercial scale waste-to-fuels facility in the USA, Sierra BioFuels, near Reno, Nevada.

The SAF produced at the NorthPoint site is expected to achieve life cycle emissions reductions of approximately 70% when compared to conventional aviation fuel, with the future potential to be fully carbon neutral.

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said:

“Travel and tourism is a force for good and, like all industries, we know how critical it is to mitigate our climate impacts. This significant investment into Fulcrum NorthPoint’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel production in the UK shows not only how seriously we take that responsibility, but also how committed we are to taking tangible actions to address it. Not only will this action help to lower our climate impacts, but it represents a major step forward in our transition to net zero too. Whether investing in SAF, spending billions on our aircraft fleet, or placing a price on every tonne of carbon we emit, we are putting sustainable travel at the heart of our business. By doing this, our customers know they are travelling with an airline and holiday company that takes its environmental impact seriously and takes substantial action to address it too.

“This type of investment is critical if we are to get this technology up to the scale required to decarbonise the industry. Our investment is a very clear demonstration that we are backing SAF and the UK production of SAF early. We are calling on the UK government to scale up its level of ambition and support for SAF production too. Doing this will help achieve decarbonisation of the aviation sector, stimulate uptake and seize the enormous economic opportunity here in the UK.”

Jeff Ovens, Managing Director at Fulcrum BioEnergy UK, said:

“This strategic, project level investment by Jet2 plc demonstrates clear commitment to the development of a UK SAF industry and further underpins Fulcrum’s leading position in the global waste-to-SAF industry. Fulcrum values this new partnership with Jet2, and we look forward to working together to successfully develop Fulcrum NorthPoint and bring low carbon jet fuel to Jet2’s increasingly fuel-efficient aircraft fleet.”