Lighthouse Green Fuels (LGF), located in Teesside, UK, is set to become Europe's … Contact online >>
Lighthouse Green Fuels (LGF), located in Teesside, UK, is set to become Europe''s
Lighthouse Green Fuels will play a key role in decarbonising the aviation industry
LGF will utilise the Gasification + Fischer Tropsch (FT) route to convert waste- or residue-based feedstocks into 2nd generation SAF – designated Fischer Tropsch synthetic paraffinic kerosene (FT-SPK). FT-SPK is one of the ASTM-certified production pathways alongside SAF derived from hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA), alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) and several others (ref. ASTM D7566 Annexures). Currently, FT-SPK must be blended with conventional fossil-derived kerosene in accordance with the ASTM standards, however, 100% SAF usage in aircraft engines is envisaged in the near future after further testing by aircraft engine manufacturers and ASTM.
The syngas is then further cleaned in the syngas clean-up section of the LGF plant. Here, adsorbent, and catalytic process steps remove the residual minor contaminant species. Acid gas components, such as CO2 and sulphur species, are also removed by the acid gas removal unit (AGRU). CO2 removed from the syngas is purified to >99% purity, which meets meeting the requirements for injection into the local carbon capture and storage (CCS) network in Teesside – Net Zero Teesside. LGF plans to sequester CO2, subject to availability and access to the network. Another key part of this section of the plant is the water-gas shift (WGS) reactor. In the WGS the ratio of H2 to CO is adjusted to approximately 2:1. This ratio is required by downstream synthesis process steps.
After the syngas clean-up section, the ultra-clean syngas is directed to the FT reactor to be converted into liquid hydrocarbon waxes (also known as synthetic crude or "syncrude"). CO and H2 are reacted over a cobalt-based catalyst at elevated temperature (150 – 300 °C) and pressure (>30 bar) to produce long-chain paraffinic hydrocarbon molecules (waxes). Alongside the waxes the FT unit also produces a "tailgas" made up of light hydrocarbons and methane. These valuable process gases can be recycled to other parts of the process to improve overall efficiency or generate power.
Waxes from the FT reactor are refined in the product upgrading unit, which contains similar process unit operations to a conventional refinery. The upgrading unit features a hydrocracker unit to "crack" the waxes into shorter chain hydrocarbons falling into the middle distillates range (C10 – C20 carbon chain length). Distillation is used to separate the SAF (FT-SPK) and naphtha products.. Final products are tested before being sent to a neighbouring tank farm for storage and export.
LGF not only marks a milestone in SAF production on a commercial scale nationally, it offers significant socio-economic benefits to the Teesside region by acting as a catalyst for economic growth. With a substantial £1.5 billion investment, the project aims to establish an economic hub in Teesside related to renewable fuels. During the construction phase alone, it is expected to generate over £470 million Gross Value Added (GVA) for the UK, providing a boost to the national economy. Additionally, it will create over 1,600 jobs across in the region, fostering employment opportunities and supporting local communities.
Establishing a domestic SAF market will improve national energy security and avoid dependence on imported alternative fuels. Domestically produced SAF will help maintain lower ticket prices compared to relying on imported SAF. It will also reduce the economic cost to UK PLC associated with import fees.
As the aviation industry seeks to reduce its carbon footprint, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has become a crucial part of the conversation as the most viable option to decarbonise flights for the next decade and beyond. SAF can significantly cut emissions compared to traditional jet fuel, but there are several ways to produce it. Each production pathway offers its own set of advantages and challenges. Here''s a look at four of the main pathways and what they might mean for the future of aviation.
HEFA is the most established method for producing SAF today. It uses feedstocks like waste oils, animal fats, and vegetable oils to produce a fuel that can be used in existing aircraft engines without modification.
Why It''s Important: HEFA is popular because it can be scaled relatively quickly due to the maturity of the production technology and the ability to re-purpose existing refinery infrastructure. This means that HEFA facilities can be developed and constructed with significantly less CAPEX compared to advanced 2nd generation routes to SAF.
The cost of production is cheaper than other pathways, such as Gasification + Fischer Tropsch or AtJ. This makes it a strong candidate for meeting immediate demand.
Challenges: The main challenge with HEFA is the limited availability of feedstocks. As more industries compete for these resources, the cost could rise, and supply may become a bottleneck. There are also HEFA caps being implemented on the policy and regulatory side which will limit the scalability.
This pathway involves turning solid materials like biomass or municipal waste into gas, which is then converted into liquid wax through the Fischer-Tropsch process. Waxes are then upgraded in conventional refinery hydroprocessing steps to produce SAF and by-product naphtha. SAF produced in this way is called Fischer Tropsch synthetic paraffinic kerosene (FT-SPK). It''s a more complex method than HEFA but has the potential to produce large amounts of SAF.
Why It''s Important: Gasification + Fischer-Tropsch can use a wide range of feedstocks, including materials that would otherwise go to waste. This makes it a promising option for large-scale SAF production, especially in areas with abundant biomass or waste resources.
Challenges: The technology is complex and expensive to scale. Building and operating these plants requires significant investment which can be challenging in a nascent market. Policy and regulatory support is essential to enable this pathway to scale at pace.
Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) converts alcohols, like ethanol, into jet fuel. This method can be particularly appealing in regions with established alcohol production industries.
Why It''s Important: AtJ can leverage existing ethanol production infrastructure, which means it could be easier and cheaper to implement in some geographies. It also offers flexibility in terms of the types of feedstocks that can be used.
Challenges: The technology is still in the early stages, and there are technical hurdles to overcome, such as improving the efficiency of the conversion process to make it commercially viable.
Power-to-Liquid, also known as eSAF, is a cutting-edge approach that involves creating fuel from renewable electricity, hydrogen, and captured CO2. This pathway is seen as a long-term solution for truly sustainable fuel.
Why It''s Important: eSAF has the potential to produce jet fuel with a very low carbon footprint. Since it doesn''t rely on biological feedstocks, it avoids many of the sustainability issues associated with other methods.
Challenges: eSAF is still in its infancy. The technology is expensive, and the infrastructure needed to produce it on a large scale isn''t fully developed yet. It will take several years before eSAF can be produced in significant quantities.
The future of scaling SAF lies in utilising a mix of these pathways, especially in the early stages of the energy transition. HEFA is currently leading the way, but as technology and infrastructure develop, other methods like Gasification + Fischer-Tropsch, Alcohol-to-Jet, and Power-to-Liquid will play increasingly important roles. Each pathway has its own strengths and challenges, and the best approach may vary depending on regional resources and technological advancements. As the industry continues to innovate and countries seek to reach their Net Zero targets, SAF will become a critical component in reducing aviation''s environmental impact.
Thursday 16th of May – A statutory consultation for Lighthouse Green Fuels, a proposed sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facility located in Stockton-on-Tees, is announced today. The consultation will run until 20 June 2024.
Lighthouse Green Fuels Ltd would like to hear views on the proposed project and its associated development. Feedback submitted to the consultation will help to shape the project proposals.
At its site in Billingham, the project will convert waste and/or waste biomass into advanced SAF. This SAF will then be distributed to local airports and blended with conventional jet fuel to power flights around the world, saving up to 350,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
The facility will be the largest of its kind in Europe and convert over 1 million tonnes of waste and/or waste biomass every year into over 175 million litres of SAF. This is the equivalent of fuelling 25,000 short-haul flights to Europe, or 2,500 long-haul flights to destinations such as the Americas or Australia every year.
A series of public information events will be held as part of the statutory consultation. These will give members of the public the opportunity to meet the project team and view the consultation materials.
There are three face-to-face events and three online webinars during this period, including:
Hard copies of the consultation materials are available to view at a local information point in Billingham Library. Electronic copies of the consultation materials are also available on the Lighthouse Green Fuels website, along with further information about the statutory consultation and proposals. More information can be found at
Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, said: "This is a fantastic project that sits at the heart of Teesside''s green industrial growth. Lighthouse Green Fuels will play a key role in decarbonising the aviation industry through the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Critically, the project will create over one thousand high quality jobs for local people across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.
It is important that local people have the opportunity to help shape the project and share their views on the proposals, which is why I encourage everyone to take part in the consultation, by providing your feedback."
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