Carbon Neutral Fuels has introduced its proprietary FlexSAF plant design, a flexible engineering configuration that enables the simultaneous production of electro-sustainable aviation fuel and advanced bio-sustainable aviation fuel at a single facility. Debuting at the company’s flagship Project Starling site in Workington, West Cumbria, the design addresses pressing industry concerns regarding the widening gap between statutory sustainable aviation fuel mandates and dedicated production capacity within the United Kingdom and the European Union.

The primary challenge addressed by this development is the capital inefficiency and inflexibility of traditional production facilities, which typically restrict operators to a single feedstockFeedstock refers to the raw organic material used to produce biochar. This can include a wide range of materials, such as wood chips, agricultural residues, and animal manure. More pathway and limit agility in responding to shifting market demands or supply chain constraints. By relying on rigid infrastructure, conventional plants struggle to scale rapidly enough to meet escalating government blending targets while managing volatile feedstock costs and availability. Furthermore, the reliance on imported jet fuel leaves domestic markets vulnerable to supply security risks.

The FlexSAF design solves this challenge by integrating dual feedstock pathways—utilizing biogenic carbon dioxide, water, and renewable electricity for electro-fuels, alongside biomethane for advanced bio-fuels—into a single, shared Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and upgrading infrastructure. This hybrid approach diversifies the facility’s feedstock base while recycling by-products such as naphtha and tail gas back into the syngasSyngas, or synthesis gas, is a fuel gas mixture consisting primarily of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. It is produced during gasification and can be used as a fuel source or as a feedstock for producing other chemicals and fuels.   More stream to maximize conversion efficiency. Process optimization efforts expand target sustainable aviation fuel output by 70 percent, raising total projected production from 25,000 to approximately 42,000 metric tons annually.

Implementation of the FlexSAF architecture at the West Cumbria brownfield site significantly lowers the production cost per metric ton through shared capital equipment and operational synergies. The facility is projected to transform an underutilized industrial area into a sovereign energy asset that secures domestic fuel supplies, creates over 500 construction jobs, and establishes more than 150 permanent operational roles. With a full planning application scheduled for Spring 2028 and initial fuel production targeted for late 2031, the project demonstrates a scalable model for advancing commercial-grade low-carbon fuel manufacturing.