Willis Lease Finance Corporation (WLFC) sustainable subsidiary Willis Sustainable Fuels (WSF) has “significantly” advanced its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project in Teesside, UK.
The subsidiary entered into license and engineering agreements with sustainable technology companies Johnson Matthey and Axens.
“Working with industry leaders will allow us to accelerate progress towards our vision for a cleaner, more sustainable future,” said WLFC senior vice president, sustainable aviation & corporate development Amy Ruddock.
Johnson Matthey's FT CANS technology — developed in partnership with bp — allows for SAF production at commercial scale. Axens' HyK technology can upgrade FT wax feedstocks into SAF.
The project's technology is intended to produce 100% SAF that can be blended with conventional jet fuel for immediate use with existing commercial aircraft engines.
WSF aims to begin commercial operations at its SAF production facility in the first quarter of 2028. The company anticipates an annual production capacity of 14,000 tonnes of SAF.
The project had received a grant from the UK Department of Transport's advanced fuels fund to facilitate its 2050 net zero targets and to have five commercial-scale SAF plants under construction by 2025. WSF is currently executing the project's design phase.