Sustainable aviation fuel comes to Saltend Chemicals Park
The planned SAF plant will be led by USA-based LanzaTech, representing an investment of around £600m with construction expected to begin in the second half of 2027.
The facility for the carbon recycling company will be built within the existing Saltend Chemicals Park and Humber Freeport Hull East tax site, allowing it to plug into established utilities, transport links, and industrial infrastructure.
Once complete, the plant is expected to be operational by around 2030, producing sustainable aviation fuel at commercial scale.
Known as Dragon II, it will produce around 80,000 tonnes of SAF, about 1% of UK jet fuel requirements, and 8,000 tonnes of renewable diesel annually.
The build phase is anticipated to support around 300 construction and engineering jobs and will involve installing ethanol-to-jet processing units, hydrogen integration, storage tanks, and associated balance-of-plant typical of a modern fuels facility.
The 370-acre Saltend Chemicals Park is owned by px Group, part of the Ara Partners portfolio of companies specialising in industrial decarbonisation investments and was selected after a thorough assessment of sites across the UK.
In July 2025, LanzaTech was awarded a £6.4m grant from the Department for Transport’s Advanced Fuels Fund, which is helping to accelerate both Dragon I and Dragon II projects.
Project Dragon – which stands for Decarbonising and Reimagining Aviation for the Goal Of Netzero – comprises two initiatives that both use the LanzaJet Alcohol-to-Jet process: DRAGON I in Port Talbot, South Wales and DRAGON II, in Humberside.
The project will convert waste carbon dioxide and green hydrogen into ethanol that will then leverage LanzaJet’s technology to convert that ethanol to produce a Power-to-Liquid SAF.
Jim Woodger, LanzaTech managing director for EMEA and Americas, said: “We are excited to bring LanzaTech’s carbon recycling technology paired with our partner LanzaJet’s world-leading SAF production technology to Humberside.
“We anticipate we will create around 300 high quality, skilled jobs both during construction and in operation.
“We selected the px Saltend Chemicals Park because it offers exceptional infrastructure for SAF production and the future prospect for hydrogen and CO2 pipelines and storage.”
Geoff Holmes, chief executive at px Group, added: “This major investment from LanzaTech demonstrates Saltend’s continued attractiveness for world-first, low-carbon projects.
“Our plug-and-play model, deep technical expertise, and unmatched site infrastructure allow pioneers like LanzaTech to deploy innovative projects at speed and scale.
“Dragon II will further strengthen the Humber’s status as the UK’s Energy Estuary, delivering jobs and a resilient, net-zero future for the region.”
Simon Green, Humber Freeport’s chief executive, said: “LanzaTech’s announcement represents a significant investment for the Humber region.
“In joining a world-class cluster of low carbon technology and innovation, LanzaTech benefits from Saltend Chemicals Park’s ‘plug and play’ proposition, with feedstock and offtake partners on site.
“With a similar facility already operational in the US, LanzaTech’s technology is proven and will reinforce the Humber’s growing status as a leading UK hub for the development of sustainable aviation fuel and associated critical chemicals.
“It is also a major direct inward investment into Humber Freeport’s Hull East tax site, enabling LanzaTech to benefit from a range of incentives designed to attract important developments such as this.”
