LanzaJet has selected Fluor Corporation for the front-end engineering and design (FEED) of a pioneering sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production hub in Teesside, UK. The initiative, Project Speedbird, is a joint development between LanzaJet and British Airways. The facility will produce more than 90,000 tonnes (30 million gallons) of SAF and renewable diesel annually, contributing to the decarbonisation of aviation and heavy industry.
‘Project Speedbird marks a pivotal advancement in the global effort to decarbonize aviation,’ says Mike Alexander, group president of project execution at Fluor Corporation. ‘By accelerating the adoption of sustainable fuel technologies, this project will help redefine the future of flight. Fluor is proud to bring our engineering and design expertise to this visionary initiative.’
The project will leverage LanzaJet’s alcohol-to-jet technology to transform second-generation ethanol, sourced from agricultural residues and woody biomass, into SAF. British Airways will use this to cut carbon emissions by approximately 230,000 tonnes annually, equivalent to the emissions from 26,000 domestic flights.
‘Project Speedbird is the next commercial scale facility in our portfolio that LanzaJet is developing, working closely with British Airways,’ says Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet. ‘It is an important step in the continued scale-up of our leading sustainable fuels technology. Partnering with the globally recognized engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) company Fluor Corporation shows our commitment to the highest standards in project execution.’
