Tyre-to-fuel plant takes off in Sunderland

A £100 million tyre-to-fuel facility is set to bolster the UK’s push for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production while creating over 100 jobs in the North East.

Wastefront has broken ground on its Port of Sunderland site, the UK’s first large-scale facility dedicated to converting end-of-life tyres into fuel for refining into SAF. 

Backed by International Airlines Group (IAG), whose airlines include British Airways and Aer Lingus, officials say the plant, set to open in 2026 and become fully operational by 2027, will process ten million tyres annually, making it the largest of its kind in Europe and helping secure Sunderland’s “position at the forefront of the UK’s net-zero economy”.

With around 55 million tyres reaching the end of their life per year in the UK and an estimated four billion tyres currently sitting in landfills or stockpiles – a number projected to reach five billion by 2030 – Wastefront’s fully circular system will play a crucial role in tackling global tyre waste.

Using advanced pyrolysis technology, the facility will recycle gases generated during production to power its operations.

Wastefront aims to run four similar plants by 2030, collectively producing 128,000 tonnes of oil annually – enough to yield approximately 90,000 tonnes of SAF.

Vianney Valès, chief executive of Wastefront, said: “Wastefront is delivering an innovative project to focus on two key issues: tyre waste and aviation emissions. 

“Our circular process not only prevents millions of tyres from being discarded in landfills but also provides a scalable, cost-effective pathway for SAF production. 

“This process will also reduce lifecycle emissions by more than 80 per cent compared to fossil fuels. 

“The Sunderland facility is just the beginning – we aim to expand rapidly to meet the growing demand for sustainable fuels.”

The facility will help meet the UK’s new SAF mandate, which came into effect on January 1 and requires ten per cent of all jet fuel used in flights departing the UK to come from sustainable sources by 2030, rising to 22 per cent by 2040.

Jonathon Counsell, group sustainability officer at IAG, which became the first European airline group to pledge ten per cent SAF usage by 2030, added: “Last year IAG powered 1.9 per cent of our operations using SAF and we are pleased to support Wastefront’s pioneering work to turn waste tyres into much-needed, domestically produced renewable fuel. 

“To enable aviation to meet the UK’s new mandate and growing SAF demand, there needs to be even greater policy support so manufacturers and innovators like Wastefront can scale new technologies.”

Lewis Atkinson, MP for Sunderland Central, added: “This £100 million investment by Wastefront is a huge vote of confidence in Sunderland, our workforce, and our region’s future as a leader in green innovation. 

“The Port of Sunderland is rapidly becoming a hub for cutting-edge industry, and this project will create skilled jobs for local people while also securing our position at the forefront of the UK’s net-zero economy. 

“Wastefront’s commitment to our city demonstrates that Sunderland is a place where business and industry can really thrive.”

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