Wastefront tire pyrolysis plant to support UK shift to sustainable aviation fuels

London – Norwegian recycler Wastefront AS is expecting to support the UK in its move to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by supplying waste tire-based “cost-effective” sustainable fuel. 

The company is set to start construction work on an end-of-life tire (ELT) pyrolysis plant in the Port of Sunderland, UK later this year.

The first phase of the project is expected to be fully operational by 2026 while the second phase is scheduled for operation by 2027, said Wastefront in a statement 3 July. (ERJ report)

Once at full capacity, the €120-million facility will process up to 80 million ELTs per year, converting them to recovered carbon black and tire-derived oil (TDO).

Initially, the TDO will be processed by third-party refineries into road transport fuel or SAF, Wastefront said.

At a later stage, the TDO will be converted to SAF in “dedicated facilities”, said Wastefront without offering further details.

With the move, Wastefront said it will be supporting a recent mandate which stipulates that 10% of all jet fuel used in flights leaving the UK should come from SAF by 2030.

The SAF mandate, unveiled last month and pending parliamentary approval, is set to become law in January 2025.

“Working alongside our partners at the Port of Sunderland, we are on a pathway to bring ultra-low-cost sustainable aviation fuels to market,” said Vianney Vales, CEO of Wastefront.

One of the primary advantages of SAF is its potential to significantly reduce lifecycle carbon emissions compared to traditional aviation fuels.

The SAF produced by Wastefront is claimed to cut lifecycle carbon emissions by more than 80%.

According to Wastefront, demand is 'already skyrocketing' for SAF feedstock, "far exceeding both present and projected supply.”

Wastefront data suggest that global SAF supply currently stands at 2 million tonnes per annum.

Meanwhile, demand is growing at a 45% compound annual growth rate with more than 40 airlines publicly committing to using around 13 million tonnes of SAF by 2030.