Plans revealed for sustainable aviation fuel project in Barrow creating 850 jobs across North West

A major consortium has revealed plans to base a sustainable aviation fuel project in Barrow, which would create 850 new jobs across the North West.

GRAMM has announced its application to the UK Advanced Fuels Fund to win support to accelerate its ground-breaking Sustainable Aviation Fuel project.

It said it would act as a catalyse to decarbonise the UK aviation industry.

The proposed location for the project is the Royal Port of Barrow. Its owner, Associated British Ports recently announced an ambitious development masterplan to create an advanced engineering cluster

The port is also home to another GRAMM project partner – Centrica-owned Spirit Energy, which is planning to repurpose the depleted Morecambe Bay Gas Fields in Barrow into the world-leading MNZ carbon store.

Alexander Peschkoff, GRAMM consortium lead, said: “Advanced Fuels Fund support will propel UK sustainable aviation forward.

“Meeting a significant part of the UK aviation sector’s net zero obligations will establish GRAMM as a leading sustainable aviation fuel producer. This project also proves that decarbonisation can tackle climate challenges while driving regional economic growth.”

GRAMM’s ambitious vision has attracted strong industry backing, particularly from BioTfueL, a proven end-to-end technology platform developed by global energy leader TotalEnergies, technology licensor Axens, and industrial solutions provider thyssenkrupp Uhde.

“BioTfueL partnership provides world-class expertise and innovation to ensure the project’s success, as well as maximizes both environmental and economic benefits.

GRAMM said regional support for the project had been equally robust, with assistance from the North West Net Zero Hub, a regional programme dedicated to promoting investment in energy projects; Net Zero North West (NZNW), an industry-led collaboration driving industrial decarbonisation across the North West; and Enterprising Cumbria, the newly established body working to boost economic development throughout the county.

James Johnson, head of regional programme, North West Net Zero Hub, said: “GRAMM has assembled a very strong consortium to progress their proposals for a first-of-a-kind large-scale SAF production facility.

“Support from the Aviation Fuel Fund, if approved, would help the project progress. The North West Net Zero Hub has been pleased to support GRAMM.

“We recognise the importance of the national policy framework for sustainable aviation fuel, and if successful, the GRAMM project could be a transformative opportunity for the North West, creating substantial job and supply chain opportunities throughout its delivery phases.”

Jane Gaston, CEO NZNW, added: “As the home to two of the UK’s airports, Net Zero North West recognised in our manifesto the importance of providing a resilient supply of significant volumes of sustainable fuel to support the aviation industry.

“Our own work in developing the North West Industrial Cluster Plan shows that the North West is uniquely placed to deliver transformational projects such as this. It’s therefore no surprise that GRAMM have chosen to target delivery of this project in our region.

“With a combination of expertise driven by our industry and the people who work there, our natural geological assets both on and off shore, and our transportation links, including our ports, this project could further enhance the £30 billion pipeline of projects already identified across carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, renewables, nuclear and battery which will not only deliver significant carbon reductions, but critically support industry in the North West to continue to make a positive contribution to the UK’s economic growth whilst operating in a more sustainable way.”

The funding from the UK Advanced Fuels Fund, if the application is successful, will allow the GRAMM consortium to move from planning to implementation, making this visionary project a reality, the consortium said.