Willis Sustainable Fuels UK (WSF), subsidiary of Willis Lease Finance (WLF), and the Green Finance Institute (GFI), an independent advisor to governments and investors, have launched a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project accelerator to bring WSF’s SAF project at Wilton International in Teesside to final investment decision (FID) and establish a replicable blueprint for financing new homegrown transition projects.
Targeting 14,000 tons of production per year, the project supports national energy security, by reducing reliance on imported fuels and anchors new green-industry jobs in the Northeast, by converting mainly UK biomethane into next-generation jet fuel. This project has been funded £7.6 million through two rounds of the UK Government’s Advanced Fuels Fund.
With a track record of mobilizing £77 billion in committed capital to drive the transition and as a key adviser in shaping the UK’s SAF mandate, GFI’s SAF program will focus on helping projects reach FID in 2026. The “accelerator” platform is designed to remove financing barriers and develop solutions that attract private sector investment into pioneering projects.
“This partnership with the GFI is a vital step in demonstrating the commercial viability of SAF projects in the UK,” Amy Ruddock, director of WFS, said. “Together, we aim to create a blueprint for financing solutions that will accelerate the transition to low-carbon aviation.”
Dr. Rhian-Mari Thomas, CEO at GFI, said, “Our collaboration with WSF exemplifies how strategic partnerships across the value chain can unlock investment for innovative technologies. By launching this accelerator approach, we aim to scale SAF production to support the UK’s ambitions for a homegrown SAF industry.”
Both organizations will also collaborate on communicating best practice and lessons learned from this process to raise visibility for SAF financing solutions within the UK’s transition finance ecosystem.
