Essar Energy Transition (EET) has cleared a major milestone in its push to build one of the UK’s largest sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) hubs.
This, by completing the Pre-Front End Engineering Design (Pre-FEED) phase for its flagship Stanlow Methanol to Jet (MtJ) project.
Integrated into the infrastructure of the Stanlow refinery, the project is designed to produce more than 200,000 tonnes of advanced SAF annually, using around 550,000 tonnes of renewable e-methanol and bio-methanol feedstock each year.
The development marks a significant step in the UK aviation sector’s race to decarbonise, with the government’s SAF Mandate requiring 22% of all jet fuel to come from sustainable sources by 2040.
By embedding the MtJ facility within the Stanlow refinery complex, EET will be able to blend SAF directly with conventional jet fuel volumes already produced on site.
Existing logistics infrastructure — including access to the Manchester Jet, Midlands and UKOP pipeline systems, as well as road and marine transport routes — positions the fuel for direct supply to major UK airports and airlines.
The Pre-FEED study, backed by up to £2.5 million from the UK Government’s Department for Transport Advanced Fuel Fund, was carried out in partnership with Genesis and examined the project’s technical and commercial viability.
The assessment concluded that the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex is capable of supporting the full facility, with no major permitting barriers identified. It also confirmed strong market interest in renewable methanol supply and highlighted opportunities to reduce both costs and carbon intensity through integration with existing refinery operations.
The project will now move toward the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) stage later this year, with a Final Investment Decision targeted for early 2028.
EET says the project has now evolved from concept stage into a delivery-ready, investment-grade SAF development and forms a central part of the company’s wider multi-billion-dollar energy transition strategy across North West England.
Ruth Herbert, Managing Director and Chief Business Development Officer, Essar Energy Transition, said: "Completing Pre-FEED confirms that Stanlow MtJ is a leading UK SAF project; it is a fully integrated, delivery-ready solution built for scale.
"By embedding advanced SAF production directly within a large-scale refinery system, with existing blending, logistics and offtake in place, we have fundamentally reduced risk, cost and complexity. As the UK moves from ambition to obligation under the SAF Mandate, projects that can deliver reliably, competitively and at scale will matter most, and Stanlow MtJ has been deliberately designed to do exactly that."
Helen Coleman, Managing Director, Genesis, said: "We are proud to have played an integral role in the successful completion of this significant Pre-FEED study.
"By leveraging our best-in-class technical and advisory capabilities, we delivered a robust and forward-looking assessment that has reaffirmed the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex as a highly credible location for a large-scale MtJ SAF project.
"This work has enabled Essar Energy Transition to move forward with confidence as the project progresses toward FEED and the next phase of development.”
