Firefly Green Fuels

Firefly Green Fuels is a UK-based company specializing in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from sewage biosolids. Founded in 2013 by CEO James Hygate OBE and COO Paul Hilditch, the company developed from Hygate's long-standing experience in the biofuels sector, which began with his first company, Green Fuels Ltd., in 2003. Hygate, an environmental science graduate, has been a significant figure in the sustainable fuel industry for over two decades.

The company's core technology utilizes hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) to convert sewage sludge into biocrude and biochar. The biocrude is then upgraded into a drop-in SAF that, according to analysis by Cranfield University, can reduce carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by over 90% compared to conventional jet fuel. The biochar byproduct has applications in agriculture as a fertilizer. This circular economy model addresses both aviation emissions and waste management challenges, as sewage is a globally abundant and continuous feedstock.

Firefly Green Fuels serves the aviation industry, providing a pathway to decarbonization. Its business model involves forming strategic partnerships for feedstock supply, technology deployment, and fuel offtake. A key client is Wizz Air, which invested £5 million and signed a 15-year offtake agreement to purchase up to 525,000 tonnes of SAF. The company has also received significant funding from investors like Builders Vision and secured grants, including £2 million from the UK's Green Fuels, Green Skies competition in 2021. To secure its supply chain, Firefly has established partnerships with water utility companies like Anglian Water in the UK and sanitation firm Sanepar in Brazil. For technology and engineering, it collaborates with Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) and Petrofac.

The company is currently developing its first commercial-scale facility in Harwich, UK, with Haltermann Carless, which is expected to be operational by 2028/29. Firefly is also actively pursuing international expansion, with agreements in place to scale its technology in North America and Latin America, partnering with Synagro in the US and Sanepar in Brazil.

Keywords: sustainable aviation fuel, SAF, sewage to fuel, biosolids, hydrothermal liquefaction, biofuel, waste-to-energy, cleantech, aviation decarbonization, biocrude, biochar, circular economy, renewable fuels, carbon reduction, green fuels, alternative fuels, advanced biofuels, waste valorization, climate tech, energy from waste