Jet2 Invests Heavily in UK's Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Jet2, a prominent travel group, has revealed plans for a significant investment in the creation of a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) plant. The plant will be built in the North West of England, marking one of the first such investments in UK aviation.
Under the agreement, Jet2, including the renowned leisure airline Jet2.com and the UK's largest tour operator Jet2holidays, will acquire an equity stake in the plant. The company aims to procure over 200 million litres of SAF from the plant over 15 years, making it one of the longest SAF supply deals available.
The Fulcrum NorthPoint facility is a Waste-to-Fuels plant developed by Fulcrum BioEnergy Ltd, which will be situated at the Essar Stanlow Manufacturing Complex in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
The NorthPoint plant will use Fulcrum’s waste-to-fuel process to produce SAF from non-recyclable household waste that would have been destined for incineration or landfill. When at full capacity, the plant will convert 600,000 tonnes of waste into around 100 million litres of SAF annually. Production is expected to commence in 2027.
Jet2.com has announced an agreement to purchase a significant volume of SAF produced at the NorthPoint plant over 15 years. The SAF is expected to achieve net emissions reductions of approximately 400,000 tonnes of CO2 for Jet2.com throughout the agreement.
The NorthPoint plant’s strategic positioning means that the SAF is expected to be delivered directly to Manchester Airport using existing jet fuel pipework infrastructure rather than having to rely on transporting the fuel by road.
SAF is considered the most viable option for the medium to long term decarbonisation of aviation, including recently by the Transport Select Committee.
The SAF produced at the NorthPoint site is expected to achieve life cycle emissions reductions of approximately 70% compared to conventional aviation fuel, with the future potential to be fully carbon neutral.
Jet2.com and Jet2holidays are committed to becoming one of the leading brands in sustainable air travel and package holidays. The company has previously been recognised as one of the most carbon-efficient airlines globally and has published a comprehensive sustainability strategy setting the company on a path to net zero by 2050.
The strategy includes the purchase of 98 firm-ordered Airbus A320/A321 neo aircraft, which could eventually extend up to 146 aircraft, to further reduce emissions per passenger.
Jet2.com also operates a carbon offsetting scheme, one of the largest of any airline globally, which means that the company has paid for every tonne of carbon emitted since January 2022.
Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said that the investment in Fulcrum NorthPoint’s SAF production shows the company's commitment to addressing its climate impacts and represents a major step forward in its transition to net zero.
He added that the investment is critical to getting the technology up to the scale required to decarbonise the industry and called on the UK government to scale up its level of ambition and support for SAF production to achieve decarbonisation of the aviation sector.
Jeff Ovens, Managing Director at Fulcrum BioEnergy UK, said that the partnership with Jet2 demonstrates the company's commitment to the development of a UK SAF industry and underpins Fulcrum's leading position in the global waste-to-SAF industry.
The investment by Jet2 demonstrates its support for SAF and UK production of SAF and represents a significant step towards sustainable travel, demonstrating the company's commitment to addressing its environmental impact and taking substantial action to address it.
For further information, please visit: www.jet2plc.com/sustainability
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Source: Jet2
