Lighthouse Green Fuels confirms move to new site in Teesside, UK, for £2 billion SAF project

Image: Lighthouse Green Fuels

Global project development, manufacturing and engineering group Alfanar confirmed Nov. 10 a move to a larger, more enhanced site for its Lighthouse Green Fuels sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project.  

During a keynote to aviation leaders at the Airlines 2025 conference in London, the U.K. country head of Alfanar, Noaman Al Adhami, also unveiled a new dedicated brand and website for LGF, which is wholly owned by Alfanar. 

The £2 billion (USD$2.63 billion) LGF project will convert 1.5 million metric tons of sustainably sourced biomass feedstocks—including forestry, sawmill and agricultural residues in line with the U.K. SAF mandate—into more than 180 million liters (47.5 million gallons) of second-generation SAF every year, offsetting the equivalent carbon emissions of 27,000 short-haul flights. 

The new site in Seal Sands, on land where the former Ineos nitriles facility was located, sits just 500 meters from the previous Billingham location.  

It offers closer access to critical infrastructure, including rail and shipping links, and enables the entire conversion process to take place on one site, from feedstock pretreatment to storage. 

It is also even closer to carbon capture and storage infrastructure, providing the opportunity for seamless integration into the network when online.  

This would enable SAF to be produced with a 200 percent lifecycle-emissions reduction compared to conventional jet fuel, according to Alfanar, enough to meet 11 percent of the U.K.’s 2030 SAF mandate. 

Targeting to be online in 2030, the project will enter the next phase of public consultation shortly. 

‍“The move to our new site means we are now even better placed to become a global leader in SAF production,” Al Adhami said. “Our project was already the most advanced dedicated SAF project in the U.K., and one of the largest of its kind anywhere in the world. This relocation drives further operational and supply-chain efficiencies and means we are better placed to increase production capacity in the future once the first phase of the project is underway.” 

 Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, who visited Alfanar’s London headquarters Nov. 10, added, “Teesside is leading the charge in the industries of the future, and Alfanar’s £2 billion investment to build the world’s biggest SAF plant of its kind is a clear sign of that leadership. We’re proud to welcome further enhancements to this landmark project, which will bring thousands of top-quality jobs and opportunities for local firms. Having a project of this scale built right here shows what we already know—that Teesside has the people, skills and drive to deliver groundbreaking projects like this.”