NEXTCHEM’s advanced technologies to power UK SAF plant by 2030, turning waste into jet fuel, reducing emissions, and creating jobs.
MAIRE (MAIRE.MI) has announced that its subsidiary NEXTCHEM, through its Waste-to-Chemical arm MyRechemical, has secured a significant engineering study contract from Altalto Ltd. The study will leverage NEXTCHEM’s proprietary NX Circular™ gasification and NX CPO™ technologies for the development of a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production facility in Immingham, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom.
Altalto (Immingham) Ltd., established by Velocys to advance SAF initiatives in the UK, is leading the project, which is scheduled to begin operations by 2030. Once operational, the facility aims to produce approximately 30 million litres (23,000 tonnes) of SAF annually. This output is aligned with the UK government’s SAF Mandate and will serve the domestic aviation market. The project will use residual municipal solid waste (MSW) as well as commercial and industrial (C&I) waste as primary feedstocks, thereby transforming difficult-to-manage waste streams into high-value, low-carbon fuels.
To support development, the UK Department for Transport’s Advanced Fuels Fund has awarded the project a grant, enabling the Basic Engineering Design phase to move forward. The production volume is expected to be sufficient to power more than 500 transatlantic flights between London and New York each year, underscoring the project’s contribution to decarbonising aviation.
The plant will integrate NEXTCHEM’s NX Circular™ gasification process, which transforms waste into synthesis gas (syngas). This syngas will be converted into SynCrude using Velocys’ Fischer-Tropsch technology, before being refined into premium SAF. Alongside this, the NX CPO™ (Controlled Partial Oxidation) technology provides a highly efficient route to syngas generation through a rapid oxidation process. By combining these technologies, the plant is designed to maximize fuel yield while simultaneously reducing the carbon intensity of the final product.
MyRechemical will act both as a technology supplier and as the coordinator of the consortium of technological partners. Engineering services will be supported by NEXTCHEM’s NX Engineering District in Catania, with additional input from other MAIRE Group companies. The initiative is expected to deliver multiple environmental and socio-economic benefits: more than 100,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions will be avoided each year, residual waste will be valorized, and around 100 permanent jobs will be created. During the construction phase, the project anticipates generating about 1,000 direct and 300 indirect jobs, while also boosting the UK’s balance of payments by reducing reliance on imported fuels and fostering investment and export opportunities.
Commenting on the achievement, Fabio Fritelli, Managing Director of NEXTCHEM, stated: “This award demonstrates the strength and flexibility of our technological solutions, which address the urgent decarbonisation needs of the mobility sector, particularly in aviation.”
The SAF Mandate forms a crucial part of the UK’s aviation decarbonisation roadmap. Starting in 2025, it requires 2% of total jet fuel demand to come from SAF, increasing to 10% by 2030 and 22% by 2040, ensuring long-term commitment toward sustainable aviation.
