Essar Energy Transition (EET) is moving ahead with plans to develop a methanol-to-jet sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facility at the Stanlow refinery complex in the United Kingdom, marking another step in its broader bioenergy and low-carbon fuels strategy.
The proposed project will convert renewable e-methanol and bio-methanol into sustainable aviation fuel, supporting the aviation sector’s transition toward lower-carbon energy sources. EET plans to begin front-end engineering design (FEED) work later this year and is targeting a final investment decision by the end of 2026, Construction World reported.
The facility is expected to produce more than 200,000 tonnes of SAF annually and consume nearly 550,000 tonnes of renewable methanol feedstock each year.
According to the company, the methanol-to-jet unit will be integrated into the existing infrastructure at the Stanlow refinery, allowing it to utilise established blending, logistics and fuel distribution systems. This approach is expected to reduce project risk and simplify execution while enabling large-scale SAF production.
EET also plans to participate in the United Kingdom’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Revenue Certainty Mechanism, a programme designed to provide greater investment confidence for long-term SAF projects.
The development aligns with the UK’s sustainable aviation fuel mandate, which requires 22 per cent of jet fuel supplies to come from sustainable aviation fuels by 2040.
Company executives said participation in the mechanism would strengthen the project’s commercial viability and help accelerate deployment.
The Stanlow project forms part of EET’s wider energy transition programme in north-west England. The company plans to invest more than $3 billion in low-carbon projects over the next five years, focusing on the integration of renewable feedstocks, conversion technologies and existing industrial infrastructure.
EET said the investment strategy is aimed at delivering scalable emissions reductions for the aviation sector while supporting the growth of sustainable fuel production in the United Kingdom.
