IAG has invested in a £100 million project to convert waste tyres into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in Sunderland. While SAF is marketed as an environmentally friendly alternative, the process of pyrolysis raises concerns about energy consumption, emissions, and long-term sustainability.
British Airways' parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), has invested in a £100 million project by Norwegian company Wastefront to develop a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) factory in Sunderland. The facility will use pyrolysis, a high-temperature process, to convert used tyres into jet fuel, aligning with the UK government's sustainable aviation policies.
On paper, SAF appears to be a step towards greener air travel, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) claiming that it can reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions by up to 80% compared to fossil fuels. But just how sustainable is burning tyres for fuel?
The method used to turn tyres into fuel is called pyrolysis, which involves heating waste tyres to extreme temperatures, breaking them down into an oil that can be refined into jet fuel.
However, pyrolysis is an energy-intensive process. According to IDTechEx, this raises "questions about the technology’s overall carbon footprint, especially if the energy used is derived from fossil fuels." In other words, if the Sunderland plant relies on non-renewable energy to power pyrolysis, it could further contribute to emissions rather than reduce them.
Tyres are one of the most challenging waste products to manage. As tyre recycling equipment manufacturer Gradeall states:
"When waste tyres are dumped into landfill sites or tyre dumps, they can leach toxic chemicals into their surroundings. With tyres taking up to 80 years to decompose, this is a long time for this to be happening."
In 2006, the UK banned tyres from landfills under the EU Landfill Directive, further proving their significant environmental impact. The problem also extends to their production—tyre giant Michelin confirms that 60% of the rubber used in the tyre industry comes from synthetic materials derived from fossil fuels.
By burning tyres for fuel, their environmental impact is simply prolonged, rather than eliminated.
The UK generates over 50 million waste tyres annually, many of which are exported for disposal in landfills or used as fuel in cement production—one of the world’s most carbon-intensive industries. Cement manufacturing is responsible for 7-8% of global CO2 emissions, according to the Global Cement and Concrete Association.
The Sunderland plant aims to process up to 10 million tyres per year, diverting them from the cement industry. However, instead of reducing emissions, this could just shift the burden elsewhere. Cement plants would still require alternative fuels—likely fossil-based—so the overall emissions may remain unchanged.
In the end, whether the tyres are burned in a cement kiln or as SAF in a jet engine, they still release CO2 into the atmosphere.
SAF does not reduce in-flight emissions. When Virgin Atlantic conducted the world's first 100% SAF-powered flight in November 2023, the carbon output was identical to a conventional flight. While SAF proponents claim the fuel cuts lifetime emissions, the key issue is that emissions still occur at the point of combustion.
The UK-based environmental research group Carbon Brief has warned that SAF will only reduce UK aviation emissions by 0.8% by 2040, hardly the major sustainability breakthrough it is claimed to be.
Supporters argue that SAF provides up to 70% lower lifecycle emissions compared to traditional jet fuels. However, this is only true if every part of the supply chain is powered by renewable energy—which is rarely the case.
Pyrolysis itself releases some emissions. CONTEC, a company that recycles tyres via pyrolysis, acknowledges that while the process "reduces up to 100% of waste in terms of weight and volume", it still releases pollutants. Even if these emissions are "little or negligible," they contradict the core principle of sustainability.
Furthermore, the IAG-backed Sunderland plant could increase demand for waste tyres, inadvertently encouraging more tyre production rather than reducing overall fossil fuel reliance.
Despite being branded as a sustainable aviation breakthrough, tyre-derived SAF is far from a perfect solution. It is still reliant on fossil-fuel-derived materials, emits CO2 at the point of combustion, and requires significant energy to produce—potentially from non-renewable sources.
For now, the only truly sustainable way to cut aviation emissions is to fly less. As Cait Hewitt, Policy Director for the Aviation Environment Federation, put it:
"For now, the only way to cut CO2 from aviation is to fly less."
While SAF might play a role in aviation’s decarbonisation journey, it is not the silver bullet many claim it to be.
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