LanzaTech locks in Ghent for Europe’s first commercial ATJ-SAF plant

American technology provider, LanzaTech, confirms Europe’s first commercial scale Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) sustainable aviation fuel facility will be at the North Sea Port in Ghent, Belgium.

The project will be operated as part of the FLITE (Fuel via Low carbon Integrated Technology from Ethanol) consortium and use LanzaJet AtJ technology. The facility is estimated to cost 500 EUR project and aims to produce 79,000 tonnes of SAF and 9,000 tonnes of renewable diesel (RD) annually.

“We are delighted to have chosen North Sea Port, Ghent as the home for FLITE,” said Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech. “This is a world-class location that gives the project every advantage it needs to succeed. The site’s mature and diverse industrial ecosystem not only reduces development risk but also provides a strong foundation of partnership opportunities to complement and support the project, including proximity to the ArcelorMittal Steelanol ethanol plant located directly across the canal from the site. We are committed to being a safe, responsible and sustainable neighbour as we build and operate the facility.”

LanzaTech is also in the process of submitting the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) with the Belgian authorities. This submission should act as a de-risking instrument on the path to Final Investment Decision (FID). 

The FLITE consortium is supported by EU Horizon 2020 funding.

“We are thrilled to welcome FLITE to North Sea Port,” said Cas König, CEO of North Sea Port. “The FLITE project is an excellent fit with our Impact 2030 plan and the broader sustainability ambitions of the City of Ghent and Province of Flanders. Our mature industrial ecosystem and multimodal connectivity mean FLITE can hit the ground running, with existing utilities infrastructure, a skilled local workforce, and well-developed fuel logistics operations already in place. North Sea Port is the ideal home for a project of this ambition and scale, and we look forward to FLITE becoming a valued and long-term partner within our community.”

North Sea Port has a network of liquid bulk storage with multi-modal logistics infrastructure connectivity into Europe. Established fuel infrastucture and storage capacity acts as an asset in attracting developmental and operational capital.  

The project, once operational, estimates to create 50 permanent jobs and an average of 300 CTE positions throughout the three year construction.