Firefly's Altaca deal advances sewage-to-jet fuel plant in UK

Firefly on May 20 said its partnership with Turkish engineering firm Altaca completed the core technology platform behind its wet-to-jet sustainable aviation fuel pathway, a move that pushes the Bristol-based developer further from concept work and toward plant execution. The agreement links Altaca’s CatLiq hydrothermal liquefaction process with downstream refining technology from Chevron Lummus Global, giving Firefly a full conversion chain for turning sewage sludge into jet fuel.

Altaca’s CatLiq step uses hydrothermal liquefaction to convert biosolids into crude oil, creating the upstream feedstock for Firefly’s process. That matters because Firefly has staked its project on treated human sewage, not on the crowded pools of used cooking oil, tallow or vegetable oils that already underpin much of the waste-based SAF market. Firefly has said it expects to source raw material for its first project from UK water companies, pairing waste disposal with a domestic aviation fuel stream.

The partnership was signed at the British Embassy in Ankara, underscoring the cross-border industrial buildout behind the project. Firefly has already said Anglian Water would supply biosolids for the planned pilot facility, which it has linked to the Haltermann Carless refinery site in Harwich, Essex. Firefly’s earlier timeline pointed to a pilot facility in 2027 and a first commercial-scale plant in 2029, both of which now depend on translating the technology package into a bankable operating plant.

Commercially, the project has already attracted an airline anchor. Wizz Air secured a 15-year offtake agreement for up to 525,000 tonnes of SAF from 2028 and made a £5 million equity investment in Firefly in 2023. Firefly has said Cranfield University’s independent analysis found its fuel could cut lifecycle emissions by more than 90% versus fossil jet fuel, while the company cites a carbon intensity of 7.97 g CO2e/MJ for its process.

For Firefly, the Altaca deal looks like a shift in emphasis. The core chemistry is now assembled, and the harder task is moving sewage-derived SAF from integrated flowsheet to operating asset, with feedstock logistics, refinery integration and project delivery now carrying as much risk as the technology itself.