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Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has welcomed the announcement that a global energy firm is set to make a new £1billion investment into a ground-breaking sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project on Teesside.

During a visit by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to Saudi Arabia later today the Kingdom’s alfanar group will confirm the investment into its Lighthouse Green Fuels Project. It is expected to create more than 700 jobs during construction which is due to kick-off next year and 240 full-time jobs when fully operational.

Alfanar group is aiming to be the first company to produce sustainable aviation fuel from waste at scale in the UK, and the fuel generated by the plant has the potential to produce 80 percent less greenhouse gas than its fossil fuel equivalent.

The firm was previously awarded £2,417,500 by the UK Government as part of its Green Fuels, Green Skies competition to take forward the project, which will convert household and commercial waste into 180million litres of SAF and liquid hydrocarbon naptha.

Mayor Houchen said:

“I’ve been working closely with alfanar for a long time now and this absolutely fantastic news further cement our region as the global go-to place to develop ground-breaking green energy technology – delivering the cleaner, safer and healthier jobs of the future.

“Alfanar’s commitment to the region and its workers is fantastic to see, with hundreds of high-quality, well-paid jobs set to come for people right across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool as it plays its part in helping us become a clean energy powerhouse.

“It also ties into our ambitions to make Teesside Airport the UK’s first hydrogen-ready airport, and an early adopter of these sustainable aviation fuels. Hydrogen-powered vehicles and a refuelling station are on the ground now and projects right across our area from the likes of bp, Kellas Midstream and Northern Gas Networks are showing how we’re capitalising on the UK’s low carbon ambitions.

“Critically, at a point where we need to be thinking outside of the box to cut down on tradition jet fuel emissions to keep our aviation sector soaring, this investment and innovative project will help us become a pioneer in the aviation fuels of the future.”

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