Zero Petroleum has been awarded £3.5m from the Advanced Fuels Fund, as the government targets increased use of sustainable aviation fuel by 2030.
The fund was launched in July 2022 and 17 companies have been given a split of the latest £63m pot, ‘Window 3’, taking the total to £198m since it launched.
The award to Zero, whose Plant Zero is in the Command Works at Bicester Motion developing fossil-free fuel made from air and water, will be invested in a demonstration module in Orkney and a commercial plant that focuses on converting biogenic CO2 and green hydrogen into high-blend sustainable aviation fuel.
Zero Petroleum has partnered with Rolls-Royce, Boeing and the Royal Air Force since it launched in 2020, including setting a Guinness World Record with the RAF in 2021 when Group Captain Peter Hackett flew an Ikarus C42 using only synthetic fuel.
“This £63 million is lift off for Britain’s green aviation revolution,” said Mike Kane, Aviation Minister. “We’re not just backing brilliant British innovation, we’re creating thousands of high-skilled jobs and positioning the UK at the forefront of the global sustainable aviation market.”