Fluor Corporation has been selected by LanzaJet to perform front-end engineering and design (FEED) for Project Speedbird, a new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production hub planned for North Yorkshire, England.
The project is a joint development between LanzaJet and British Airways and marks one of the UK’s most advanced SAF initiatives to date. Fluor said it will recognize the contract value, which was not disclosed, in the third quarter.
Project Speedbird will use LanzaJet’s proprietary Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) process to convert second-generation ethanol, derived from agricultural residues and woody biomass, into SAF. British Airways intends to use the fuel to reduce lifecycle emissions from its operations.
The partners estimate the facility could cut emissions by around 230,000 tons of CO2 annually, equivalent to the output of roughly 26,000 domestic flights.
Scaling Alcohol-to-Jet Pathways in the UK
“Project Speedbird marks a pivotal advancement in the global effort to decarbonize aviation,” said Mike Alexander, Fluor’s group president for project execution. He added that accelerating sustainable fuel deployment will be essential to shaping the industry’s long-term emissions trajectory.
LanzaJet CEO Jimmy Samartzis described the project as the company’s next commercial-scale facility, following its Freedom Pines Fuels plant in the United States.
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He noted that working with Fluor, a global engineering, procurement and construction firm, reinforces a focus on rigorous design and project delivery.
Located in Teesside, the plant is expected to produce more than 90,000 tons (30 million gallons) per year of SAF and renewable diesel.
The region’s established industrial base, existing infrastructure and skilled workforce were key factors in site selection. Project Speedbird contributes to broader UK ambitions to expand domestic SAF production and support the aviation sector’s pathway to net-zero emissions.
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