Major jet fuel facility in Port Talbot gets green light in investment creating 150 jobs

Plans for a sustainable jet fuel facility in Port Talbot have been approved in an investment promising to create 150 jobs. American company LanzaTech is leading the project, which will establish a sustainable aviation fuel production facility in the town

Neath Port Talbot Council has given go-ahead for the Project Dragon development. The facility will be situated on a former industrial brownfield site at Port Talbot’s Crown Wharf.

The approval follows the company securing £25m from the UK Government’s Advanced Fuel Fund. This funding will support the delivery of the project as part of efforts to achieve the 2050 net carbon zero target.

Once completed, the developers claim it could produce up to 100 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel annually. This will be achieved by using an alcohol-to-jet facility to convert sustainably sourced ethanol into aviation fuel.

Furthermore, the project could create over 150 full-time jobs in the area, including 85 jobs on-site, and generate more business down the supply chain, reports Wales Online.

Port Talbot is facing big changes as it was revealed that the town’s steelworks might lose its two famous blast furnaces. They could be replaced with an electric arc furnace by 2024, and this might mean up to 3,000 people could lose their jobs.

At a meeting, Neath Port Talbot’s planning committee learned about how big the new project could be, and they were happy about this important development for the area.

Councillor Rob Jones said it would bring good jobs and might make more businesses want to come to the area. He said: “To be honest I think this is a very exciting application and something that is desperately needed in the area.”

Jim Woodger, managing director of LanzaTech UK, said: “We are delighted that Neath Port Talbot Council has approved our planning application. This milestone marks an important step for Project Dragon and demonstrates the potential for Port Talbot to transition to clean green industries that build on its heritage whilst providing jobs and wider benefits for the local community.”

The construction of the facility is now set to start in winter 2024, with production planned to begin in 2026. However, the timeline is “subject to securing the legislation, investment and off-take agreements that are needed to move forward to a final investment decision”.

Once operational, the facility could run 24 hours a day, all year round. The proposed site includes “storage tanks, installation of pipework and electrical, processing and utility equipment, administration, warehouse and laboratory buildings, new access, car parking and transport infrastructure”.