What Altalto does

Altalto is a UK-based project development entity developing the UK's first commercial waste-to-sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant at Immingham in North East Lincolnshire. The project is operated under Velocys Technologies Limited, with Velocys plc as the parent company and main shareholder. Altalto plans to process over 500,000 tonnes per year of municipal solid waste (including hard-to-recycle plastics that would otherwise go to landfill or incineration) into approximately 60 million litres of sustainable fuels annually, comprising approximately 20,000 tonnes of synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) for aviation and naphtha for road transport blending.

The plant uses a four-stage thermochemical process: waste preparation, gasification to synthesis gas, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis using Velocys' proprietary microFTL technology (which has achieved a 30% cost reduction through standardization), and finishing/refining into SPK and naphtha. The process claims virtually no pollutant emissions, recycling of metals and stones, and less than 3% of residuals to landfill. Altalto's SPK is approved for commercial aviation at up to 50% blend with conventional jet fuel and achieves a 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions versus fossil jet fuel, with the ability to generate SAF certificates worth up to 150% of GHG reduction under the UK SAF mandate.

Altalto is a pre-revenue project targeting a final investment decision in Q2 2027 and commercial operations in 2030. The site has full planning permission (secured June 2020) and is positioned in the Humber Enterprise Zone. Revenue is expected to come from direct B2B sales of SPK to UK aviation fuel suppliers and of naphtha to road fuel blenders, supplemented by SAF certificate trading under the UK SAF mandate framework (effective January 2025, with a £5,875/tonne buy-out price). The project represents a "hundreds of millions of pounds" investment into North East Lincolnshire, with 100+ direct operations jobs and hundreds of construction jobs expected.

Name

Altalto

Legal name

Velocys Technologies Limited

Website

https://altalto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Altalto is developing the UK's first commercial waste-to-sustainable aviation fuel plant at Immingham, converting over 500,000 tonnes per year of municipal solid waste into synthetic paraffinic kerosene for aviation and naphtha for road transport, operated under Velocys Technologies Limited and targeting operations in 2030.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Aviation Fuel

NAICS

Other Nonhazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562219), Basic Chemical Manufacturing (3251)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Waste Gasification (MSW/RDF/biomass-to-syngas) (EUAAAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

CO₂‑Derived Synthetic Fuels for Aviation & Marine (SAF e‑fuels, e‑ammonia/e‑methanol bunkering pathways) (EUABAIAH), Thermochemical CO₂ Conversion Systems (RWGS, Fischer‑Tropsch integration, catalytic hydrogenation) (EUABAIAL), CO₂‑to‑Chemicals (C1/C2+ chemicals: formic acid, CO, syngas, ethylene/propylene pathways) (EUABAIAC)

Keywords

• Waste-to-fuel conversion
• Sustainable aviation fuel
• Fischer-Tropsch synthesis
• Municipal solid waste processing
• Renewable jet fuel production

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. SAF (Jet Fuel) Sales: Sale of synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) sustainable aviation fuel to aviation fuel suppliers. SPK is approved for commercial aviation at up to 50% blend with conventional jet fuel. Revenue derived from fuel sales under long-term offtake agreements.
2. Naphtha Sales: Sale of naphtha, a constituent of petrol, to road fuel blenders. Helps reduce net CO2 emissions of road transport.
3. SAF Certificates/ Credits: SAF certificates awarded in proportion to greenhouse gas reduction achieved (baseline 70%, Altalto up to 150%). Under UK SAF mandate, suppliers must surrender SAF certificates or pay buy-out price of £5,875 per tonne.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Altalto is developing the UK's first commercial-scale waste-to-transport-fuels plant in Immingham, North East Lincolnshire. The project converts over 500,000 tonnes per year of municipal solid waste (including hard-to-recycle plastics) into sustainable aviation fuel (synthetic paraffinic kerosene / SPK) as its main product and naphtha as a secondary byproduct, using Velocys' proprietary Fischer-Tropsch microFTL synthesis technology combined with gasification and refining stages.

Product overview

Altalto is developing the UK's first commercial waste-to-transport-fuels plant at Immingham, which converts municipal solid waste (including hard-to-recycle plastics) into sustainable aviation fuel and naphtha. The plant uses Fischer-Tropsch technology (supplied by Velocys) to produce synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) - the main product - along with naphtha as a secondary product. The facility processes over 500,000 tonnes of waste per year to produce over 60 million litres of fuels annually. The Altalto Immingham project is currently the most advanced waste-to-SAF project globally, with full planning permission and targeting a final investment decision by Q2 2027, with operations expected to begin in 2030.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) / Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (SPK) Jet fuel produced from municipal solid waste using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. SPK is approved worldwide for commercial aviation at up to 50% blend with conventional jet fuel. Achieves 70% lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional jet fuel and up to 90% reduction in particulate matter from engine exhausts. Sold to aviation fuel suppliers under long-term offtake agreements under the UK SAF mandate framework.
• Naphtha A constituent of petrol produced as a by-product of the waste-to-SAF conversion process. Sold to road fuel blenders to be blended into petrol and help reduce the net CO2 emissions of road transport users.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional jet fuel
• +4 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• North East Lincolnshire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2020Granted formal planning permission for the Altalto Immingham project in June 2020 (application reference DM/0664/19/FUL). The council's Local Plan earmarks the site for industrial development within the Humber Enterprise Zone.
• VelocyscoreTechnology or IntegrationVelocys is the main shareholder in Altalto Immingham project and supplies the Fischer-Tropsch technology component (microFTL) that converts synthesis gas into liquid hydrocarbons. Velocys assembles all technology components into an integrated design. Achieved 30% cost reduction for their technology through standardization and delivery efficiencies.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Infinium (now part of Fortescue): Infinium produces e-fuels including e-SAF, e-diesel and e-naphtha via reverse-water-gas-shift + Fischer-Tropsch from green hydrogen and captured CO2. Directly competes with Altalto in the UK/EU e-SAF and synthetic naphtha markets under the same regulatory frameworks.
• SunFire GmbH: SunFire develops power-to-liquid (e-SAF) systems using co-electrolysis of water and CO2 to produce syngas, followed by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Same Fischer-Tropsch finishing step as Altalto, but with a different (green hydrogen + captured CO2) feedstock pathway — a competing second-generation SAF route.
• Aemetis: Aemetis is building SAF capacity at its Riverbank plant in California using waste-derived feedstocks (including renewable diesel and jet fuel pathways). Similar focus on converting waste/biomass feedstocks into aviation fuel, though primarily via fermentation and hydroprocessing rather than Fischer-Tropsch gasification.
• HIF Global: HIF Global is developing e-fuels plants (Haru Oni in Chile, additional sites planned) producing e-SAF and e-gasoline from green hydrogen and captured CO2 via Fischer-Tropsch. Competes for the same second-generation SAF mandate demand as Altalto, but with a different feedstock strategy.
• LanzaTech: LanzaTech uses gasification and a carbon-capture fermentation process (with commercial partner Indian Oil) to convert waste gases and biomass into ethanol and sustainable aviation fuel. Comparable in being a waste-to-fuels gasification pathway, but using a biological conversion step rather than Fischer-Tropsch.

Broad incumbents

• Neste: Neste is the global leader in renewable diesel and SAF produced via HEFA from used cooking oil and animal fats, operating at commercial scale today. As the dominant near-term SAF supplier, it competes with Altalto for SAF mandates and represents the incumbent that Fischer-Tropsch pathways must displace (or complement) as the HEFA 71% cap tightens.
• BP: BP is investing in SAF capacity and partnerships (e.g., with Lanzajet on alcohol-to-jet) and operates aviation fuel supply networks globally. As a potential offtake customer, project partner, or competitor under its own SAF portfolio, BP is a relevant broad incumbent in the same end-market Altalto serves.
• Shell (SAF business): Shell operates SAF production at scale today (e.g., at Rotterdam) and is investing in multiple SAF pathways including gasification-to-jet. As a vertically integrated oil major with global fuel supply relationships, Shell competes with Altalto for both offtake counterparties and is a likely downstream buyer or partner for Altalto's SPK output.

Direct peers

• Velocys plc: Velocys is the parent company and main shareholder of Altalto, and supplies the core Fischer-Tropsch (microFTL) technology used to convert syngas into liquid hydrocarbons. It is the most directly comparable entity as both technology licensor and project developer, with a portfolio of similar Fischer-Tropsch SAF projects globally (including Bayou Fuels in the US).
• Fulcrum BioEnergy: Fulcrum is developing the Sierra SAF plant in Nevada, converting municipal solid waste into synthetic crude and then SAF via Fischer-Tropsch — the closest direct competitor to Altalto using an analogous MSW-to-SAF pathway. Same feedstock, same core technology approach, same aviation end-market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Altalto