Project Speedbird, a project that involves Wilton-based Nova Pangaea Technologies, has secured government funding. The Department for Transport has awarded Project Speedbird, a partnership between Nova Pangaea Technologies, British Airways, and LanzaJet, £484,000 to fund a feasibility for the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the UK.

“We are very excited to have been granted GFGS funding to develop sustainable aviation fuel and proud to partner with British Airways and LanzaJet, in support of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution which was announced last year,” said Sarah Ellerby, chief executive at Nova Pangaea Technologies.

“We want the UK to be a world leader in SAF and to do this we have to be ambitious and embrace innovation. There is no doubt that this will help to move us towards decarbonising the aviation sector. We plan to deliver the first end-to-end, sustainable value chain from UK wood waste and residues to SAF in the UK.”

Awarded as part of the UK Department of Transport’s Green Fuels, Green Skies (GFGS) competition to develop sustainable aviation fuel, the funding will enable the Project Speedbird collaboration to begin early-stage development of the UK’s first integrated SAF production facility utilizing wood waste.

Starting in 2025, Project Speedbird will begin to recycle carbon from UK wood waste into 113 million litres of SAF and renewable diesel (RD) per year, to meet the current SAF supply-demand gap in the UK. The fuel produced is projected to power 2,000 British Airways’ flights from London to New York operated on the airline’s A350 aircraft.

“We’re committed to a sustainable future and to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and have built a clear roadmap to get us there,” added Sean Doyle, British Airways chairman and chief executive.

“In the short-term this means improving our operational efficiency and using carbon offset and removal projects while in the medium to longer term we’re investing in the development of sustainable aviation fuel and looking at how we can help with the growth of zero emissions hydrogen-powered aircraft and carbon capture technology.  We’re delighted to receive this crucial support from the government’s Green Fuels, Green Skies competition, which is critical in driving forward the development of sustainable aviation fuel in the UK.”