Exolum is to invest £4.5 million (€5.2 million) in creating the UK’s first independent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blending facility at Redcliffe Bay in south-west England, as part of new plans for a UK-wide network of SAF blending hubs.
The announcement comes as the UK’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, which creates new subsidies for SAF production, progresses to its next stage in Parliament. SAF is a ‘drop-in’ biofuel that is blended with conventional aviation fuel and used in aeroplanes without modification, to reduce the carbon emissions of flying.
By blending customers’ SAF into Exolum’s national aviation fuel pipeline network, the investment will boost green aviation fuel supplies to airports across southern England and Wales, including those at Heathrow, Gatwick, Bristol, Exeter and Cardiff.
Exolum North West Europe Lead, Stephen Land, says: ‘Exolum’s investment at Redcliffe Bay is turning the UK’s ambitions for greener flights into reality, whilst helping secure the country’s world-leading position at the forefront of global sustainable aviation. The UK’s twin commitments to airport expansion and to increasing SAF supplies have been crucial in ensuring that, and we’re looking forward to not only supporting greener aviation but also the growth of the UK’s sustainable fuels industry.’
The company is also announcing that the facility will be the first of a new UK-wide network of SAF blending hubs it plans as part of its 2,000 km pipeline network, creating a SAF Superhighway that will provide SAF producers and importers with market access to the jet fuel for 40% of flights leaving the UK’s airports.
UK Department for Transport Aviation Minister, Keir Mather MP, says: ‘I’m excited to see the rollout of Exolum’s SAF network, which will help support regional jobs across the country and is another major vote of confidence in our SAF polices including the SAF Bill, which is back in Parliament for its third reading. We’re also investing £63 million to support the production of homegrown SAF which, alongside our mandate to increase the supply of SAF in aviation fuel to UK flights, will drive demand for greener fuels and support jobs in the UK.’
Expected to be operational from 2026, the initial investment at Redcliffe Bay will support the greening of the equivalent of up to 64,741 flights from London to New York a year, supporting the UK’s position as a global leader in green aviation.
Sadik Al Hassan MP, sustainable aviation champion and MP for North Somerset, says: ‘Exolum’s £4.5 million investment in their Redcliffe Bay facility marks a significant boost for North Somerset, helping support new technical jobs across the sustainable aviation supply chain in southwest England, whilst advancing the UK’s leadership in green aviation. Their vision for a sustainable aviation fuel ‘superhighway’ links delivery hubs to where the green fuel is needed most across the country, making the region more attractive for green investment in sustainable fuel production. It’s a clear signal that the green transition isn’t just possible but here.’
The plans will enable long-term green investment in SAF production plants across the UK and, in the case of Redcliffe Bay, south-west of England and southern Wales, by providing a crucial, independent route to market for when they become operational, which is expected later this decade.
Unblended SAF will initially be delivered by ships to Bristol’s Royal Portbury Dock, before being transported to Exolum’s Redcliffe Bay site by pipeline. It will then be stored and blended on-site with conventional aviation fuel, to create the ready-to-use ‘drop-in’ fuel that is then distributed by Exolum’s national pipeline system.
Dave Lees, CEO of Bristol Airport, says: ‘It’s fantastic to see this investment in our region, with blending facilities being a vital part of the future SAF supply chain that we need to decarbonise aviation. We’ve committed to working with our airline customers to meet the UK’s SAF mandate as part of our aim to be a net zero airport by 2050.’
The project includes several infrastructure upgrades to Exolum’s existing aviation fuel pipeline storage and pumping station at Redcliffe Bay, on the banks of the Severn Estuary near Bristol. The plans include:
- Conversion of existing aviation fuel storage tanks to handle SAF, before it is blended with conventional aviation fuel.
- Within the existing tanks, the installation of a state-of-the-art SAF blending infrastructure, which will ensure that SAF is blended with conventional aviation fuel to the correct technical standards.
- Modifying existing systems by installing new pumps, filtration systems and segregation valves to circulate SAF between storage tanks and to pump into the pipeline network.
