‘secret’ pipes will fuel planes on household waste
UNDERGROUND pipelines between Cheshire and Manchester Airport will supply passenger planes with an ecofuel made of household waste.
The hub will become the first in the UK to have a ‘direct feed’ of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) after a deal was struck between airport bosses and Fulcrum BioEnergy Limited UK.
If the plan goes ahead, the fuel – made from waste like packaging, food scraps and oil – will be produced at a biorefinery in Stanlow, Cheshire from 2026.
As part of the agreement – backed by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng – it will be supplied to Manchester Airport through a pipeline that already runs between the two sites.
The pipelines are the Manchester Jet Line, owned and operated by Penspen, and the UK Oil Pipeline Network (UKOP). Fulcrum will take ‘residual household and other wastes’ and remove ‘inorganic materials like metals and certain plastics.’
The remaining organic materials are then put through ‘gasification,’ followed by a cleaning process.
The resulting ‘syngas’ is then ‘upgraded’ into a low net carbon sustainable aviation fuel.
While reducing landfill and the need for incineration, the end result will also cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, say its creators.
The £600m Cheshire facility will make around 100 million litres of SAF a year which, when blended 50/50 with traditional fuel, will be enough to fill the tanks of ‘1,200 Boeing 777-300s.’
The fuel produced at ‘Fulcrum Northpoint’ on the ESSAR Stanlow Manufacturing Complex will have a CO2 footprint at least 70pc lower than the regular stuff. It comes alongside the hub’s other climate change initiatives – including a new scheme for passengers to offset their flight emissions by supporting sustainability projects here and abroad. It’s part of a master plan to establish the North West as a leading producer of sustainable fuel.
According to research, the industry – dubbed a ‘North West SAF cluster’ – could generate up to 1,520 jobs and £219m annually in this region, and 6.500 jobs and £929m nationally.
It will also go some way to decarbonise the aviation industry, with a goal of 10pc of aircraft to be using SAF within five years of the Fulcrum site becoming operational.
Neil Robinson, from MAG, said: “Today really is a landmark moment in our journey towards a decarbonised aviation sector. By working towards a future supply of SAF, direct to Manchester Airport via existing pipelines from a local refinery, we’re making sustainable operations accessible for airlines based here. The introduction of SAF is testament to the innovation we have seen, and the collaboration between airports, airlines, the government and suppliers like Fulcrum to achieve real progress towards our goal of Net Zero for UK aviation by 2050.”
Mr Kwarteng said: “This partnership is a huge leap forward for the long-term competitiveness of Britain’s aerospace sector, demonstrating how, by going green, industry can create jobs and help level up across the UK.”