U.K. homegrown sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production has been given a boost thanks to a new £219 million (USD$293.7 million) low-carbon fuels fund (LCFF), which will launch later this summer, powering up economic growth and supporting thousands of jobs across the country.

Innovative companies from across the U.K. are invited to bid for a share of £93 million (USD$124.7 million) over the next two years to develop low-carbon fuel, with applications opening in mid-July.

The fund will focus support on the most promising projects meaning those closest to the actual production stage.

The June 16 announcement builds on £198 million (USD$265.6 million) already invested through the advanced fuels fund (AFF) since 2022 to scale up cleaner aviation technologies.

Low-carbon fuel production could add up to £5 billion (USD$6.7 billion) to the economy by 2050 and position the U.K. as a global hub for SAF production.

“This £219 million is the next chapter in Britain’s green aviation revolution,” said Keir Mather, the U.K.’s aviation, maritime and decarbonization minister. “We’re backing brilliant British innovation, creating thousands of high-skilled jobs and making sure the U.K. leads the world in the fuels that will power the future of flight. This kind of investment is exactly how we kickstart economic growth, open up exciting new opportunities for young people and make our holidays greener and cleaner.”

SAF is an alternative to fossil jet fuel that reduces greenhouse-gas emissions on average by 70 percent on a lifecycle basis, making it a key technology that will allow U.K. aviation to grow capacity while meeting its net-zero commitments.

Growing a thriving domestic SAF industry will give investors the confidence they need to back new production plants in the U.K., creating well-paid, skilled jobs in communities the length and breadth of the country.

Investment in low-carbon fuels is investment in the future of aviation.

For young people looking to build a career, the U.K.’s growing SAF industry offers some of the most innovative and exciting opportunities anywhere in the economy, from engineering and science to construction and manufacturing.

Alongside the new fund, the government is launching June 16 a “call for evidence on the SAF mandate,” which requires an increasing proportion of jet fuel supplied in the U.K. to be sustainable, starting at 2 percent in 2025, rising to 10 percent by 2030 and 22 percent by 2040.

The U.K. is already seeing encouraging growth in SAF supply.

The call for evidence will explore what current global supply projections for different types of sustainable fuel mean for meeting the SAF mandate’s targets in the coming years.

This is part of an ongoing and collaborative approach with industry to ensure the scheme remains responsive to an evolving market.

Overall mandate targets are not under consideration for reduction, with proposals focusing on strengthening the scheme for the future.

“We are very pleased to see the launch of the Department for Transport’s low-carbon fuels fund and the clear commitment to further development of homegrown sustainable aviation fuel in the U.K.,” said Keith Packer, the managing director of British Sugar. “At British Sugar, following a grant from the advanced fuels fund, the British BioJet project at our Wissington site is exploring the development of a sizeable demonstration plant. It will utilize our existing waste feedstocks with ethanol-to-jet technology to produce 1,500 metric tons of SAF—supporting the growth in cleaner, greener jobs and investment. We welcome this next phase of funding to develop SAF and look forward to making an application so that we can continue supporting the government’s ambition for net-zero aviation.”

Jennifer Holmgren, the CEO of LanzaTech, added, “Today’s investment by the U.K. government strengthens the U.K.’s position as a global leader in sustainable aviation fuel production. It will help companies like LanzaTech turn waste into green jet fuel, creating skilled jobs and economic growth for example in Humberside, where we are developing a new SAF facility capable of supplying around 1 percent of the U.K.’s jet fuel demand. The call for evidence on future SAF targets is also an important step towards giving industry the long-term certainty needed to scale production and accelerate private investment today and beyond 2030.”