The Lighthouse Green Fuels (LGF) project, backed by Alfanar, will see approximately 1 million tonnes of non-recyclable waste converted into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at the facility which is to be deployed on Teesside. SAF produced at the plant has the potential to reduce emissions by up to 80% and the plant will produce >125,000 tonnes of SAF annually from 2028 (equivalent to >165 million liters per annum).

UK Government’s Jet Zero strategy will support aviation to reach net zero by 2050. SAF is seen as a key component as a ‘drop-in fuel’ that can be blended into fossil-based aviation fuel and used in existing aircraft and infrastructure without modification and therefore could deliver both short-term and long-term CO2 emissions savings. Some experts view SAF as the only alternative to kerosene for long-haul flights up to 2050 and beyond depending on the development of alternate flight powering technologies such as hydrogen and batteries. The alternate technologies are only in early stages of development and may never achieve the energy storage densities required for long-haul flights.

Navigator Terminals’ North Teesside complex is a road fuel and crude oil storage facility with the region’s only deep-water jetty designed for petrochemicals, direct pipeline connecting to the North Sea and modern rail distribution facilities. Finished SAF will be exported via ship at the North Teesside waterside complex. SAF may also be exported via rail or truck at Navigator’s inland North Teesside rail terminal.

Jason Hornsby, Chief Executive Officer of Navigator Terminals said, “Navigator Terminals is committed to playing a leading role in delivering net zero for the UK, as the UK’s leading transport, storage, and handling experts, we operate a network of strategically located terminals. We have supported Alfanar progress its thinking around the Lighthouse SAF project for over 12 months and now are pleased to announce our formal partnership. It is exciting to bring forward plans for the UK’s first Sustainable Aviation Fuel handling terminal on our North Teesside dockside to rejuvenate this industrial land and push UK’s aviation that bit closer to net zero every time we fly.”

Mishal AlMutlaq, Chief Investment Officer of Alfanar Projects said, “We are delighted to form a partnership with Navigator Terminals on Teesside. We kicked off the FEED study for our Lighthouse Green Fuels project in June 2022 and we are now looking to start engineering works associated with the build out the regional infrastructure on Teesside, and this includes partnering with Navigator Terminals. This will enable our facility to play a leading role in bringing SAF to the UK’s aviation sector and helping them to reach net zero. We see the LGF project creating high quality jobs to deliver and run our facility, but also creating a much wider regional economic boost as we start construction in 2024.”

KEY FIGURES

• Global project developer and engineering construction company, Alfanar, are developing a £1.5bn waste-to-sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facility – the Lighthouse Green Fuels project – in Teesside, the biggest waste-to-SAF project in the world.
• N+P – a Dutch-based world-leader in converting non-recyclable waste to fuels – is creating a joint venture with Alfanar to source a million tonnes per year of non-recyclable waste otherwise destined for landfill, incineration or export – enough to fuel 25,000 short haul flights a year.
• The partnership will process household and business rubbish into pellets at several purposely built waste treatment facilities across the UK, including one existing facility. Alfanar will then convert the pellets into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a green alternative to kerosene.
• Alfanar and N+P are now actively seeking waste feedstock suppliers from across the UK.

Alfanar and N+P Group today announced a partnership to source and process up to 1 million tonnes per year of non-recyclable waste from local authorities and waste companies.

The joint venture will require the equivalent to the amount of rubbish produced by Birmingham and the wider West Midland Metropolitan Area every year. It will be used to create feedstock pellets which can then be used to produce green jet fuel, also known as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

To process the waste up to three further processing facilities will be built across the country – with locations dependent on where the waste is sourced from. Everyday non-recyclable household and business rubbish, contaminated recycling loads and MRF residues can all be sorted by N+P for use in the process, instead of the rubbish being sent to landfill, burnt in incinerators or exported. Recyclable and inert materials will be removed, before the waste is dried and turned into high carbon content pellets. The pellets will then be converted into SAF at Alfanar’s Lighthouse Green Fuels facility in Teesside, which is due to be operational in 2028 and will create over 1,000 jobs during construction before employing 240 people locally when operational.

Taken together, this unique end-to-end solution will produce SAF that can be used in today’s aircraft engines and refuelling infrastructure with no modifications. It will produce 165 million litres of SAF, equivalent to 2,500 long-haul flights or 25,000 short-haul flights per year – enough to meet 10% of the UK 2030 SAF target.

“We specialise in creating value out of things that others literally throw away. Our focus is to ensure we recycle as much as we can, but also to look for opportunities to create value from the things that can’t be recycled. Our new partnership with Alfanar enables us to take non-recyclable household and commercial waste and convert it into pellets, which can then be used to produce sustainable aviation fuel. We maximise the usage of these materials which have already had a life in the value chain.

We are now actively looking to secure long-term waste supply contracts with waste companies and local councils from across the UK for this project, for what will be Europe’s biggest waste processing facility by tonnage. Next to this we aim to develop at least 3 new production facilities in the country in the next two years.” – Lars Jennissen, Chief Development Officer, N+P Group

“Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) delivers 80% greenhouse gas lifecycle emissions savings compared to conventional kerosene, but fuel produced at our facility will deliver up to 200% savings with access to Teesside’s Carbon Capture and Storage infrastructure. This means Lighthouse Green Fuels will not only be the biggest SAF production facility in the UK when operational, but the UK’s first negative emissions SAF project, and therefore a critical contributor to the UK Government’s 2030 SAF targets.

With the third largest aviation network in the world, a third of Europe’s carbon storage capacity, and readily available waste feedstock, the UK is perfectly positioned to be a world leader in SAF production. We look forward to making this a reality by delivering this project, and others that will follow.” – Noaman Al Adhami, Country Head UK, Alfanar

Alfanar is a global project development and engineering construction company headquartered in Saudi Arabia, and employs over 20,000 people worldwide. Alfanar specialises in developing projects as well as manufacturing electrical products and EPC solutions covering energy, water, infrastructure, and green fuels. Alfanar has developed, tested and optimised a unique end-to-end solution that uses gasification and Fischer-Tropsch technology to convert readily available household and commercial waste into ultra-low carbon SAF.

N+P is a Dutch-based world-leader specialising in the production and supply of waste derived alternative fuel production for various industries. N+P is also developing new concepts to substitute fossil fuels with non-recyclable paper and plastic waste fractions, and has also worked on supplying alternative raw materials, substituting primary materials and contributing to cheaper and cleaner production processes.

The Alfanar and N+P partnership enables the conversion of waste to SAF through the following two stage process:

• Purpose built sites will sort the waste, which will include everyday non-recyclable household and business rubbish, contaminated recycling loads and Materials Recycling Facilities (MRF) residues. The sorting will involve removing recyclable materials (like metals) and inert materials (like glass). These sites will then dry and pelletise the waste.
• The pellets will then be transported by train to Alfanar’s Lighthouse Green Fuels SAF facility, where they will be converted to SAF using Alfanar’s gasification and Fischer-Tropsch technology.

The project, known as Lighthouse Green Fuels, will convert residual solid waste into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and green naphtha. The project will process over one million tonnes of residual solid waste every year – such as municipal solid waste, refuse-derived fuel or solid recovered fuel – into approximately 3,200 bbl/day of SAF and green naphtha. These fuels have the potential to produce over 80 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to current fossil fuels.

The plant is expected to enter commercial operations in 2028, following the scheduled start-up of the first Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) carbon cluster in Teesside.

Under the contract, Worley will provide FEED services to develop the existing early front-end engineering package and integrate the licensor scope to provide a greater level of definition to the project. The services will be led by Worley’s offices in the UK with support from specialists around the world and Worley’s Global Integrated Delivery team.

“The UK has an opportunity to be at the forefront of the SAF sector, with its access to suitable feedstocks and planned carbon capture infrastructure. Alfanar has committed to the next major phase of the Lighthouse Green Fuels plant by awarding Worley the FEED contract. We chose Worley because of its commitment to supporting sustainable projects and significant experience with delivering complex megaprojects,” said Noaman Aladhami, UK Country Manager, Alfanar Energy Ltd.

“Our work with Alfanar on this important project will contribute to the decarbonization of air and road transportation. Low-carbon fuels is a strategic priority for Worley and we look forward to supporting Alfanar in its energy transition journey, while remaining aligned with our purpose of delivering a more sustainable world,” said Bradley Andrews, President at Worley.

About Worley: We deliver project and asset services for the energy, chemicals and resources sectors around the world. We provide expertise in engineering, procurement and construction, as well as consulting services. Every day we help our customers get one step closer to solving our planet’s complex issues, such as climate change, the energy transition, digital transformation and how we are delivering a more sustainable world. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Or visit Worley.com.