Major step forward in creation of leading methanol-to-jet SAF production hub

Essar Energy Transition, which plans to create what it calls “the world’s leading low-carbon process refinery,” announced May 18 that it has completed the pre-front end engineering design (pre-FEED) stage for one of the U.K.’s largest advanced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production hubs.

Integrated within the company’s Stanlow refinery’s infrastructure, the planned Stanlow methanol-to-jet (MTJ) project will produce more than 200,000 metric tons per year (tpy) of advanced SAF, using approximately 550,000 tpy of renewable eMethanol and biobased-methanol feedstock.

Co-locating the MTJ facility with the Stanlow refinery enables on-site blending of the SAF with the Essar Energy Transition Fuels conventional jet-fuel volumes. 

Utilizing the existing export infrastructure, including access to the Manchester Jet, Midlands and UKOP pipeline systems as well as existing road and marine distribution routes, the SAF can be supplied directly to the U.K. aviation sector, including major U.K. airports and airlines.

Renewable eMethanol and biomethanol will be sourced from a range of domestic and international supply sources. 

Leveraging existing import and storage capabilities provided by Stanlow Terminals Ltd. reduces project capital expenditure while enabling access to the most competitive, low-cost and low carbon-intensity methanol feedstocks.

Partially funded with up to a £2.5 million (USD$3.35 million) grant through the third window of the U.K. government’s Department for Transport’s Advanced Fuel Fund, the pre-FEED stage was completed in partnership with Genesis, Essar Energy Transition’s pre-FEED contractor.

The pre-FEED included technical and commercial evaluations of the project, addressing critical aspects such as site selection, MTJ technology readiness, integration with refinery facilities, carbon-intensity performance and environmental compliance.

According to Essar Energy Transition, the pre‑FEED phase reconfirmed that the Stanlow MTJ project represents “a highly credible advanced SAF opportunity.”

The work demonstrated:

• The Stanlow manufacturing complex is an optimal site with the capacity to accommodate all the facility requirements.

• There are no material barriers to permitting and consenting.

• Strong interest exists in renewable methanol supply.

• Meaningful integration opportunities are available, which will lower cost and carbon intensity.

• Essar Energy Transition Fuels is committed to underpinning the full SAF volumes offtake in line with its anticipated U.K. SAF mandate requirements.

The successful conclusion of the pre-FEED study enables Essar Energy Transition to continue the development of this landmark project. 

The project is now targeting participation in the U.K. SAF revenue-certainty mechanism process. 

The project’s scale, refinery integration, secure logistics and credible offtake structure will ensure deliverable SAF capacity capable of underpinning long‑term mandate compliance, the company stated.

FEED is planned for later this year and final-investment decision (FID) by the start of 2028.

Collectively, these outcomes confirm the Stanlow MTJ project has transitioned from concept to a delivery‑ready, investment‑grade SAF project, according to Essar Energy Transition.

“This milestone demonstrates the strong momentum of Essar Energy Transition’s future fuels ambitions,” the company stated. “The Stanlow MTJ project is a crucial component of Essar Energy Transition’s overall multibillion-dollar investment program into energy-transition initiatives across the North West of England, supporting the growth of high skilled employment in the North West.”

Essar Energy Transition’s development of a North West SAF production hub, backed by a robust regulatory regime, represents a vital opportunity for U.K. fuel resilience and security, and industrial growth, the company said.  

The U.K.’s SAF mandate sets an obligation of 22 percent of total jet fuel by 2040 and Essar Energy Transition said its proposed MTJ facility will play a decisive role in meeting this need.  

This plant will ensure Essar Energy Transition can meet its own SAF obligations in the 2030s while providing critical spare capacity to decarbonize the broader U.K. and European aviation sectors.

“Completing pre‑FEED confirms that Stanlow MTJ is a leading U.K. SAF project—it is a fully integrated, delivery‑ready solution built for scale,” said Ruth Herbert, the managing director and chief business-development officer. “By embedding advanced SAF production directly within a large-scale refinery system with existing blending, logistics and offtake in place, we have fundamentally reduced risk, cost and complexity. As the U.K. moves from ambition to obligation under the SAF mandate, projects that can deliver reliably, competitively and at scale will matter most, and Stanlow MTJ has been deliberately designed to do exactly that.”

Helen Coleman, the managing director of Genesis, added, “We are proud to have played an integral role in the successful completion of this significant pre‑FEED study. By leveraging our best‑in‑class technical and advisory capabilities, we delivered a robust and forward‑looking assessment that has reaffirmed the Stanlow manufacturing complex as a highly credible location for a large‑scale MTJ SAF project. This work has enabled Essar Energy Transition to move forward with confidence as the project progresses toward FEED and the next phase of development.”