Exolum to invest £4.5m in UK’s SAF blending facility
European energy logistics company Exolum announced its decision to invest £4.5m ($6m) in a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blending facility at the Redcliffe Bay in south-west England.
The investment will upgrade Exolum’s existing aviation fuel pipeline storage and pumping station at Redcliffe Bay. Under the upgradation, the company said it will convert existing aviation fuel storage tanks to handle SAF, install SAF blending infrastructure and modify existing systems by installing new pumps, filtration systems and segregation valves.
The facility will be operational from 2026 onwards. Blending SAF into the Exolum’s national aviation fuel pipeline network will ensure delivery of green molecules at airports across southern England and Wales, including those at Heathrow, Gatwick, Bristol, Exeter and Cardiff.
“Exolum’s investment at Redcliffe Bay is turning the UK’s ambitions for greener flights into reality, whilst helping secure the country’s world-leading position at the forefront of global sustainable aviation,” said Stephen Land, Exolum’s north west Europe lead.
The announcement comes as the UK’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, which creates new subsidies for SAF production, progresses to its next stage in Parliament.
“I’m excited to see the rollout of Exolum’s SAF network, which will help support regional jobs across the country and is another major vote of confidence in our SAF polices including the SAF Bill, which is back in Parliament for its third reading,” said UK Department for Transport Aviation Minister, Keir Mather MP.
“We’re also investing £63m 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 company is also announcing that the facility will be the first of a new UK-wide network of SAF blending hubs it plans as part of its 2,000km pipeline network.
The plans will enable long-term green investment in SAF production plants across the UK as the pipeline will ensure an independent route to market for when they become operational.
Exolum said that unblended SAF will initially be delivered by ships to Bristol’s Royal Portbury Dock. After, it will be transported to Exolum’s Redcliffe Bay site by pipeline.