Teesside SAF plant selects joint Johnson Matthey and bp production process

US-BASED manufacturer Willis Sustainable Fuels (WSF) has chosen a production process co-developed by Johnson Matthey (JM) and bp to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at its planned plant in Teesside, UK.

The company will use the FT CANS technology, which applies the Fischer-Tropsch process to convert carbon monoxide and hydrogen into synthetic hydrocarbons. WSF, a clean energy offshoot of parent company Willis Lease Finance Corporation, aims to produce 14,000 t/y of SAF by 2028.

The project received £4.7m (US$61m) in funding last year from the UK Department for Transport, awarded as part of the Advanced Fuels Fund competition.

Amy Ruddock, senior vice-president of sustainable aviation and corporate development at Willis Lease Finance Corporation, said: “Partnering with Johnson Matthey and other industry leaders enables us to drive meaningful progress toward our vision of connecting the world through sustainable flight.”

Teesside SAF

WSF is one of a growing number of multinationals developing plants in Teesside to produce SAF, after Teesside International Airport announced its goal in 2023 to become the “UK’s first net zero airport” by 2035.

The UK government mandates that a minimum of 2% of the country’s total jet fuel demand must be met by SAF, increasing to 22% by 2030.  

Alberto Giovanzana, JM’s managing director of licensing, said: “As a UK-headquartered company, we’re excited our technology has been selected to be part of [WSF’S] innovative new project.

“With our FT CANS development and testing facilities located in Teesside, and projects like this development, we see the North East as a leader in efforts to meet the UK SAF mandate."

Going Fisch-ing

WSF’s Teesside plant will be the fourth in Europe to use JM and bp’s Fischer-Tropsch process for SAF production.

The FT method is one of six processes approved by the International Air Transport Association to produce certified SAF, along with hydroprocessed fatty acid esters and fatty acids (HEFA) and alcohol-to-jet (ATJ). FT-produced synthetic kerosene can be blended with up to an equal volume of traditional kerosene to make jet fuel.

FT CANS was licensed last year to produce 600,000 t/y of SAF at DG Fuels’ Louisiana plant in the US.