Exolum invests £4.5 million to build UK's first SAF blending facility
The Redcliffe Bay facility, operational in 2026, will serve 64,741 London-New York flights yearly.
Energy logistics company Exolum announced plans to invest £4.5 million (about US$5.99 million) to create the first independent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blending facility at Redcliffe Bay in south-west England.
According to the official release, this infrastructure will provide SAF producers and importers with market access to the jet fuel used for 40% of all flights departing from UK airports.
The company is also planning to start a new UK-wide network of SAF blending hubs, aiming to establish a SAF Superhighway within Exolum's existing 2,000km national pipeline network.
Stephen Land of Exolum North West Europe said, “The UK’s twin commitments to airport expansion and to increasing SAF supplies have been crucial in ensuring that, and we’re looking forward to not only supporting greener aviation but also the growth of the UK’s sustainable fuels industry.”
Sustainable Aviation Fuel is a 'drop-in' biofuel that is blended with conventional aviation fuel and can be used in existing aircraft without requiring any modifications, offering a key tool for reducing the carbon emissions of flying.
Expected to be operational from 2026, the initial investment at Redcliffe Bay will support the greening of the equivalent of up to 64,741 flights from London to New York a year.
The blended fuel will enter Exolum’s national aviation fuel pipeline network, supplying major airports across southern England and Wales, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Bristol, Exeter, and Cardiff.
Aviation Minister Keir Mather MP from the UK Department for Transport said, “We're also investing £63 million to support the production of homegrown SAF which, alongside our mandate to increase the supply of SAF in aviation fuel to UK flights, will drive demand for greener fuels and support jobs in the UK."
The announcement comes as the UK’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill progresses in Parliament, which seeks to establish new subsidies and create a revenue certainty mechanism for SAF production.
The proposed bill would create a guaranteed strike price (GSP) to ensure SAF producers receive a fixed price per unit of fuel. This mechanism, funded by a levy on aviation fuel suppliers, is expected to reduce investment risk and help attract the necessary capital for new UK-based SAF projects.
