US technology firm LanzaTech has chosen North Sea Port for the construction of Europe’s first large-scale plant to convert ethanol into sustainable kerosene. The investment, worth around €500 million, is intended to help the aviation sector become greener by using waste gases from the nearby steel giant ArcelorMittal.
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Europe’s first sustainable aviation fuel plant to be built in Ghent
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What makes the investment unique is the collaboration between industries. The plant will be on the other side of the Ghent-Terneuzen canal, opposite the ArcelorMittal steelworks.
The steel producer has long been capturing its harmful waste gases there to convert them into ethanol using bacteria. That ethanol will now serve as the fuel for LanzaTech’s new plant. Through a chemical process, the alcohol is converted into sustainable aviation fuel.
By converting waste streams directly into fuel, we are proving that a circular economy is also possible in heavy industry and aviation
During construction, which is expected to take three years, an average of 300 people will be employed at any one time. The plant will create 50 direct permanent jobs once it is operational. The start of construction depends on the final permits being granted.
The site will produce around 79,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel annually, enough to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of thousands of flights. The fuel is expected to produce up to 80 per cent fewer emissions than traditional kerosene. In addition, the company is aiming to produce 9,000 tonnes of renewable diesel.
“This is a milestone,” says LanzaTech. “By converting waste streams directly into fuel, we are proving that a circular economy is also possible in heavy industry and aviation.”
For North Sea Port, it is a real boost. “This investment confirms our strategy of fully committing to the energy transition and the circular economy,” says CEO Cas König.