Aer Lingus parent International Airlines Group (IAG) announced investment in Wastefront, a leading tyre-to-fuel company, who plan to turn used tyres into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The SAF will be made by converting waste tyres into tyre derived oil, which is then refined into road fuels and SAF.
IAG’s Group Sustainability Officer, Jonathon Counsell, said “We’re proud to support innovators like Wastefront, who are finding new forms of feedstocks to produce advanced fuels. However, as global demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) grows, it’s crucial to expand production in the UK. The recent Government mandate will help reduce aviation’s overall carbon impact, but airlines need confidence that the planned revenue certainty mechanism will support UK businesses in developing SAF technology without further increasing the cost base for UK airlines.”
The SAF produced is expected to give life cycle carbon emission savings of over 80% versus fossil fuels. This deal is another step forward for IAG in its commitment to SAF and enables Wastefront to begin construction on its fully circular tyre-to-fuel facility in the Port of Sunderland.
The plant will begin operations in 2026 and once fully operational the following year, will process up to 10 million waste tyres annually. The UK currently generates around 50 million end-of-life tyres each year.
IAG’s investment is part of its broader strategy to reduce carbon emissions in its operations, across its airlines Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and LEVEL. The Group has already secured more than a third of its 2030 SAF target and was the first European airline group to pledge 10% SAF usage by 2030.
Image Credit: International Airlines Group (IAG)
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