Wastefront to turn end of life tyres into aviation fuel

UK based Wastefront, a Waste-to-Fuel business who are currently embarking on an innovative programme to convert End-of-Life-Tyres into ultra low-cost Sustainable Aviation Fuels and Sustainable Chemicals has officially commenced construction on its £100m (US$127m) tire-to-fuel facility at the Port of Sunderland. 

The project marks a significant step in the UK’s push for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production with International Airlines Group (IAG) becoming the first European airline group to aim for 10% SAF usage by 2030 and who recently announced an investment in Wastefront.

The facility’s first commercial phase will be starting 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 and converting them into tire-derived oil for refining into SAF and other sustainable fuels. With around 55 million tyres reaching the end of their life per year in the UK, Wastefront’s fully circular process will address a pressing waste issue.

The Wastefront site in Sunderland UK

The Wastefront system is self-sustaining, recycling the gases generated during pyrolysis to power its operations and by 2030 the company aims to operate four large-scale plants, collectively producing 128,000 tons of oil annually, enough to yield approximately 90,000 tons of SAF1.

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 tons needed by 2030. 

We are delivering an innovative project to focus on two key issues: tire waste and aviation emissions. Our circular process not only prevents millions of tires from being discarded in landfills but also provides a scalable, cost-effective pathway for SAF production. This process will also reduce lifecycle emissions by more than 80% compared to fossil fuels. The Sunderland facility is just the beginning as we aim to expand rapidly to meet the growing demand for sustainable fuels.

Vianney Vales, CEO of Wastefront

 Last year IAG powered 1.9% of its operations using SAF and we are pleased to support Wastefront’s pioneering work to turn waste tires into much-needed, domestically produced renewable fuel. To enable aviation to meet the UK’s new mandate and growing SAF demand, there needs to be even greater policy support so manufacturers and innovators like Wastefront can scale new technologies.

Jonathon Counsell, IAG’s Group Sustainability Officer

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 additional opportunities in the US, the Middle East, and Northern Europe. This expansion aligns with the tire pyrolysis market’s projected growth from US$110m in 2024 to $340m by 2033, at a CAGR of 12.87%.