2024-05-10

Project Speedbird presented at SAF Supply Chain Initiative

Nova Pangaea Technologies was present at the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Supply Chain Initiative at QEII Conference Centre in London 8th and 9th of May 2024.

As part of the Department for Transport’s SAF project showcase, Patrick Smith, NPT’s Strategic Development Director, presented project Speedbird. The project, announced in 2021, is a partnership with British Airways and LanzaJet in which NPT will be providing advanced biofuels to be processed into SAF using LanzaJet’s ATJ technology. The SAF produced will help power some of British Airways domestic flights. The plant will produce 102 million litres of SAF per year, reducing CO2 emissions by 230,000 tonnes per annum. Project Speedbird secured Government funding through the Advanced Fuels Fund of £9 million.

The aim of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Supply Chain Initiative was to bring technology, airlines, investors, industry and government together to accelerate the UK SAF industry, including legislation, and in support of the ambitions of the Jet Zero Council.

The two-day event, led by Innovate UK Business Connect – secretariat for the Jet Zero Council SAF Delivery Group, saw a host of speakers driving a collaborative approach and as a unified voice to deliver an effective UK SAF industry. Key note speeches were delivered by Anthony Browne MP, Under Secretary of State for Transport, who mentioned NPT and his site visit to view the demonstration plant in Teesside. Tom Byrne, Head of Net Zero for British Airways noted project Speedbird and NPT’s technology coupled with LanzaJet’s ATJ technology as a complementary technological process to enable SAF production. He also highlighted the project as one of DfT’s five projects to be under construction in 2025.

Sarah Ellerby, NPT CEO, commented, “Key events such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel Supply Chain Initiative are important as they bring together the voice of industry and in particular the pivotal role of technology contributors to SAF enablement. We were pleased to see the recognition given to NPT and project Speedbird, including Anthony Browne MP and Tom Byrne from British Airways. Our technology is unique, providing not only the second generation (2G) bioethanol that is critically needed for SAF production, but our valuable biocarbon co-product, NOVACHAR, which sequestrates carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to provide a net negative emissions end-to-end process. We continue to progress our technology to commercialisation, including the delivery of project Speedbird with British Airways and LanzaJet.