Willis Sustainable Fuels

What Willis Sustainable Fuels does

Willis Sustainable Fuels is a UK-based biofuel developer and would-be producer of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of NASDAQ-listed Willis Lease Finance Corporation (WLFC). Its core product portfolio covers two SAF pathways — bio-SAF produced from biomethane, and Power-to-Liquid SAF (PtL-SAF) produced from green hydrogen combined with atmospherically sourced CO2 — both manufactured via a licensed Carbonshift 'FlexFeed' process that allows a single facility to switch between pathways and is marketed as PtL-ready. Biomethane-derived SAF is claimed to deliver at least 80% lifecycle greenhouse gas reduction versus conventional jet fuel and is designed as a drop-in fuel requiring no engine or infrastructure modifications.

The company's commercial model is B2B enterprise sales of SAF to commercial airlines and large-scale fuel distributors, leveraging WLFC's 40+ years of aviation leasing expertise and pre-existing commercial relationships with 120+ global and regional UK airlines to facilitate future off-take commitments. Revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed; pricing is set via long-term enterprise supply contracts and there is no consumer-facing product. The first production facility is being developed at Wilton International within the Teesside industrial cluster, with an EPC partnership signed with McDermott (November 2024), technology partnerships with Johnson Matthey and Axens, and a targeted operational launch in 2028. Capital is sourced from a £4.721M UK Government Advanced Fuels Fund grant, an announced ~£200M planned investment, and consortium partner Mitsui, with the Green Finance Institute Accelerator (December 2025) added to broaden UK SAF financing pathways. The company has signaled intent to expand additional SAF facilities globally beyond Teesside.

Name

Willis Sustainable Fuels

Legal name

Willis Sustainable Fuels (UK) Limited

Website

https://willissustainablefuels.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Willis Sustainable Fuels is a UK-based, WLFC-backed developer of Sustainable Aviation Fuel using the licensed Carbonshift FlexFeed process to produce bio-SAF and PtL-SAF for commercial airlines and fuel distributors, with its first Teesside facility targeting a 2028 launch.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Aviation Fuel

NAICS

Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (3241), Petroleum Refineries (32411)

SIC

Petroleum Refining (2911)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Production (HEFA, FT, ATJ) (EUAAAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) & Alternative Fuels (e-fuels, biofuels, hydrogen) (THABANAA), E‑Fuels & Synthetic Hydrocarbons (e‑kerosene, e‑diesel, e‑gasoline, e‑methane) (EUABAIAA), CO₂‑Derived Synthetic Fuels for Aviation & Marine (SAF e‑fuels, e‑ammonia/e‑methanol bunkering pathways) (EUABAIAH)

Keywords

• Sustainable aviation fuel
• Biofuel production
• SAF manufacturing
• Renewable jet fuel
• Power-to-liquid fuels

Headquarters

HQ city

Teesside County Borough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production and Sales: Production and sale of sustainable aviation fuel (both bio-SAF and PtL-SAF) to airlines and fuel distributors. First facility targeting operational launch in 2028 in Teesside, UK.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Willis Sustainable Fuels develops and will produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), offering Bio-SAF derived from renewable and waste feedstocks and PtL-SAF (Power-to-Liquid SAF) synthesized from renewable electricity and captured CO2. The company intends to construct its first commercial-scale production facility in Teesside, UK, targeting a 2028 launch, leveraging Carbonshift's licensed FlexFeed technology platform for multi-feedstock conversion.

Product overview

Willis Sustainable Fuels is a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production company operating the Carbonshift FlexFeed technology platform to produce both Bio-SAF (from biomethane) and PtL-SAF (Power-to-Liquid, from green hydrogen and atmospheric CO2). The company's first SAF production facility is under development in Teesside, UK, targeting operational launch in 2028. The Carbonshift FlexFeed technology serves as the core enabling platform, providing the flexibility to produce either fuel type depending on market demand and configuration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bio-SAF

Quantifiable outcome

• At least 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional jet fuels when using biomethane-derived SAF
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered key and core.

• Green Finance InstitutekeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2025Launched accelerator with Green Finance Institute in December 2025 to advance UK's sustainable aviation fuel infrastructure. This collaboration aims to accelerate SAF deployment and infrastructure development in the UK market.
• WLFC (Willis Lease Finance Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company and primary strategic partner. WLFC is a NASDAQ-listed, leading aviation leasing and services company with forty+ years of experience and $2.5B in assets owned and $2.5B in assets managed. WLFC established UK presence at Teesside International Airport in 2020 and determined SAF was the most tangible near-term way to contribute to a decarbonized future in aviation. WLFC's 120+ global airline relationships uniquely qualify the company to facilitate SAF off-take commitments.
• MitsuicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese-based trading and investment company with 130+ years of history and diverse global portfolio. Mitsui's 'Creating Sustainable Futures' medium-term strategy drives development of various projects worldwide. Mitsui's extensive global network and proven track record in energy-related project development makes the company valuable for PtL SAF project success.
• McDermottcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPremier, fully-integrated provider of engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry. Operating in over 54 countries with 30,000+ employees. McDermott serves as EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) partner for the SAF project. Master Services Agreement signed November 20, 2024. McDermott's innovative expertise advances next generation global energy infrastructure.
• Johnson MattheycoreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal leader in sustainable technologies with over 200 years of experience using advanced metals chemistry. Johnson Matthey provides technology and expertise to help companies decarbonize and reduce harmful emissions. Partnered on SAF technology development.
• AxenscoreTechnology or IntegrationPart of IFP Energies Nouvelles Group, offering complete solutions for conversion of oil and biomass into cleaner fuels. Axens provides technologies, equipment, catalysts, and services covering the entire value chain from feasibility studies to start-up and monitoring. Key technology partner for SAF production process.
• Monte Cristo Engineering & Development (MCED)keyImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSpecializes in EPC and project management with expertise in process design. Over 20 years of experience developing first-of-a-kind biofuels projects. MCED has been instrumental in advancement of Carbonshift technology and brings strong track record in managing complex energy and biofuels projects.
• CarbonshiftcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerTechnology licensor providing the FlexFeed process technology. Carbonshift's novel technology flexibly uses biomethane or green hydrogen with atmospherically sourced CO2 to produce next generation SAF (bio-SAF or PtL). Willis Sustainable Fuels is licensing this technology for their SAF production facilities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Neste: World's largest producer of renewable diesel and a major SAF (Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel) supplier using HEFA and emerging pathways. Directly comparable as an established renewable-fuels producer targeting the same airline customers, but operates a much broader renewable products portfolio rather than a SAF-specialist focus.

Direct peers

• Gevo: US-based renewable fuels and chemicals company developing alcohol-to-jet SAF from low-carbon feedstocks (Net-Zero 1 project in South Dakota). Comparable as a SAF pure-play developer targeting airlines under long-term offtake agreements and navigating first-of-a-kind project execution.
• Velocys: Fischer-Tropsch (FT) SAF technology provider developing waste-to-jet facilities (e.g., Bayou Fuels project). Highly comparable as an FT-pathway SAF technology licensor building first commercial plants, with a similar capital-intensive, project-development profile.
• SkyNRG: Amsterdam-based SAF-focused developer and supplier running dedicated SAF production projects (e.g., DSL-01 in Delfzijl). Closely comparable as a SAF specialist with similar project-development, offtake origination, and sustainability-certification capabilities targeting European airlines.
• Infinium: Electrofuels producer (formerly Greyrock Energy) developing e-fuels from green hydrogen and waste CO2, including e-SAF for aviation. Comparable as an e-fuels/SAF technology platform with similar drop-in fuel economics and project-development profile.
• Norsk e-Fuel: Norwegian Power-to-Liquid e-SAF developer building one of Europe's first commercial PtL plants in Mosjøen using green hydrogen and biogenic CO2. Highly comparable as a European PtL-SAF project developer with similar feedstock, technology-partner, and policy-mandate dynamics.
• Twelve: CO2-to-fuels company using proprietary electrochemical conversion to produce e-jet, e-diesel, and other synthetic fuels from captured carbon. Highly comparable as a carbon-to-value SAF/e-kerosene developer with a similar drop-in fuel thesis and project-development model.
• Aemetis: US renewable fuels company developing cellulosic and low-carbon SAF/renewable diesel using biogas-to-jet pathways (Riverbank Carbon Capture project). Comparable as a renewable SAF/renewable diesel developer pursuing ATJ-type routes and similar ethanol-to-jet economics.
• LanzaTech: Gas-fermentation SAF developer producing ethanol-to-jet (ATJ) fuel from industrial off-gases, with off-take partnerships including major airlines. Closely comparable as a pre-commercial SAF technology platform targeting drop-in jet fuel and aiming to license technology to project developers globally.
• HIF Global: Power-to-Liquid e-fuels developer (Haru Oni in Chile, eFuels Helsinki) producing e-gasoline, e-diesel, and e-kerosene from green hydrogen and captured CO2. Closely comparable as a PtL fuel project developer targeting aviation and adjacent transport segments with similar first-of-a-kind execution risk.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/willis-sustainable-fuels

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Willis Sustainable Fuels