Leo Group prepares to export animal fats from new storage terminal at UK port

Leo Group's new animal-fats storage terminal at the Port of Sunderland on England's east coast will help the company extend its international reach. (Photo: Leo Group)

Leo Group, one of the U.K.’s leading specialists in animal byproducts and renewable energy headquartered in Halifax, West Yorkshire, has completed the construction of its new maritime storage terminal at the Port of Sunderland.

The storage tanks will hold animal fat recycled from Leo Group’s Omega Protein plants across the U.K. and allows the company to load some of the largest tankers in operation today.

This fat, a highly valuable cargo, is shipped to world-renowned energy companies and is used to generate renewable energy as well as being processed into renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

In recent years, demand for biofuel has soared as it has been shown to reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by up to 90 percent compared to conventional fossil fuels.

The fat, a natural byproduct derived from animal waste that the company collects across the U.K., is a key component in the process of producing an advanced form of biofuel.

The low-carbon feedstock is also certified with the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification label, which is used by the industry to distinguish between sustainable and unsustainable biomass fuels.

To meet the internationally growing demand for its feedstock, Leo Group chose the Port of Sunderland for its strategic location on the east coast and access to major transport routes.

The company sees this hugely important multimillion-pound investment as a crucial building block for the future, as the Sunderland terminal will play a pivotal role in the global export of its material.

“We are delighted that our terminal in Sunderland is now operational,” said CEO Danny Sawrij. “It will serve as our main distribution center for oil and secure our future exports to the EU and other markets around the world, which we expect to increase over time. As one of the U.K.’s leading animal byproducts and renewable energy specialists, it is great that we are able to recycle 100 percent of all animal byproducts at our sites and help reduce CO2 emissions with our products. A decade ago, you would have buried a dead sheep in the ground with the risk of contamination. Now we can convert the sheep into sustainable aviation fuel and electricity. That’s how far we’ve come.”

Matthew Hunt, the director at Port of Sunderland, added, “Leo Group is the latest in a number of pioneering circular-economy businesses to have announced a major investment at the Port of Sunderland and we’re absolutely delighted that its state-of-the-art export facility here in our port is now ready to start shipping operations to overseas markets. The need for countries the world over to transition to net-zero societies has led to soaring demand for clean biofuels such as those produced by Leo Group and we are delighted that the port will play a key role in the growth of the business as it continues to expand its global presence.”