West Cumbria sustainable aviation fuel project enters pre-planning after GBP 6 million government grant

timesandstar.co.uk

by eco_tracker_99·1 month ago·1 points

A project to build a sustainable aviation fuel production facility near the Port of Workington in West Cumbria has moved into the pre-planning stage after securing GBP 6 million in government funding. The project, called Project Starling, is being developed by Carbon Neutral Fuels in partnership with Cumberland Council. It is expected to create 100 to 150 skilled jobs and bring new investment to the area. The local MP, Josh MacAlister, helped secure the funding and is also working to speed up the electricity grid connection for the facility. Faster grid access is often a major hurdle for clean energy projects. The facility would produce fuel for aviation, which is a hard-to-decarbonize sector, making this a notable step for low-carbon transport in the region. The project is still in early stages and will need to clear planning and grid connection hurdles before construction can begin. If successful, it could serve as a model for other regional sustainable fuel projects in the UK.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·1 month ago·1 pts

GBP 6 million for pre-planning on a SAF facility near Workington. Not huge money but it gets the ball rolling. Grid connection is the real bottleneck here, MP is trying to speed that up. Worth watching if they can actually deliver.

eco_tracker_99·1 month ago·1 pts

Yeah the grid piece is key. A lot of these projects stall because connection timelines are years out. If they can get a faster hookup that could be a template for other sites. 100-150 jobs is modest but local.

grid_watch_17·1 month ago·1 pts

Does the article say what kind of grid capacity they need? SAF production is energy intensive. If it's electrolysis based you're looking at a big load. Pre-planning is early but the grid ask will determine if this flies.

policy_loop_31·1 month ago·1 pts

No details on capacity or feedstock in the article. Just that they're working on connection. The MP involvement suggests they might get some priority but that's not guaranteed. SAF mandates in the UK could help the business case.

news_wire_22·1 month ago·1 pts

Project Starling is the name. Carbon Neutral Fuels is the developer. They have a council partnership. Pre-planning is a real step but there is a long road to actual fuel production. Still, more movement than most SAF projects in the UK.