Wastefront AS (Oslo, Norway) announced that it has officially commenced construction on its groundbreaking £100 million tire-to-fuel facility at the Port of Sunderland. The project marks a significant step in the U.K.’s push for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, while delivering a major economic boost to the North East region, and will create more than 100 local jobs. International Airlines Group (IAG) was the first European airline group to aim for 10% SAF usage by 2030 and in January this year, the company announced an investment in Wastefront.
The facility’s first commercial phase will be starting up at the end of 2026, with the second phase launching a year later. Once fully operational, the plant will process 10 million end-of-life tires annually – making it the largest facility of its kind in Europe – converting them into tire-derived oil for refining into SAF and other sustainable fuels. With around 55 million tires reaching the end of their life per year in the UK, Wastefront’s fully circular process will address a pressing waste issue.
The location of the new plant envisioned at the Sunderland facility site (Source: Wastefront)
The Sunderland facility, the U.K.’s first fully circular tire-to-fuel plant, utilizes an advanced heating process without oxygen called pyrolysis technology to convert end-of-life tyres into tyre-derived oil, which will be refined into SAF. Wastefront’s system is self-sustaining, recycling the gases generated during pyrolysis to power its operations. By 2030, Wastefront aims to operate four large-scale plants, collectively producing 128,000 tons of oil annually – enough to yield approximately 90,000 tons of SAF. Initially, Wastefront will produce a 30% SAF yield from TDO through co-processing at third-party refineries. However, by 2030, when all four tyre-to-fuel plants are operational, Wastefront’s dedicated process will achieve a 70% conversion rate of oil into SAF.
The reduction of carbon emissions from aviation is critical for the industry. The UK’s SAF mandate – introduced on 1 January 2025 – requires at least 10% of all jet fuel used in UK flights to come from sustainable feedstocks by 2030, rising to 22% by 2040. However, domestic SAF production remains significantly short of the target of 1.2 million tonnes needed by 2030.
The project strengthens the North East’s position in the UK’s growing net zero economy. According to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), the UK’s net zero sector grew by 9% in 2023, compared to just 0.1% for the broader economy. Wastefront’s investment highlights the region’s leadership in sustainable innovation, positioning Sunderland at the forefront of the transition to more sustainable fuels.
With an estimated 4 billion tires currently sitting in landfills or stockpiles – a number projected to reach 5 billion by 2030 – Wastefront recognizes the global scale of tire waste and the rising demand for sustainable fuels, and is actively exploring opportunities in the US, the Middle East, and Northern Europe. This expansion aligns with the tire pyrolysis market’s projected growth from $110 million in 2024 to $340 million by 2033, at a CAGR of 12.87%.