As the global energy transition accelerates, the need for secure, sustainable fuel sources has become both an environmental priority and a matter of national resilience. Recent geopolitical tensions - including ongoing conflict in the Middle East and disruption to critical supply routes such as the Strait of Hormuz - have exposed the fragility of global energy systems, driving price volatility and raising concerns over long-term supply security. For the UK, these challenges underscore a clear imperative: to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels while building a more resilient, homegrown energy mix. Against this backdrop, the development of sustainable “future fuels” is emerging not just as a pathway to net zero, but as a strategic necessity for safeguarding the nation’s energy future.
In the UK, the transport sector is currently the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions—responsible for 27% of total emissions. To tackle this, the UK Government set out its Transport Decarbonisation Plan, a roadmap to achieving net‑zero transport emissions by 2050.
While electric vehicles (EVs) will continue to dominate the conversation, they may not meet the needs of every community or sector. In rural areas or remote locations, for example, EV charging infrastructure may be limited. And as the House of Commons Transport Committee has highlighted in their ongoing inquiry into EVs, the transition to EVs comes with risks—from supply chain pressures on batteries to potential strain on the electricity grid.
Sustainable fuels could help fill that gap, offering a practical low‑carbon option for cars, vans, and heavy‑duty vehicles—particularly those that will remain on the road long after the ban on new petrol and diesel vehicle sales
As a result, increasing the role of sustainable or “future” fuels will be a key part of delivering the UK’s wider transport decarbonisation plan.
What Are Sustainable Fuels?
Sustainable fuels are synthetic liquid fuels designed to replicate the performance of traditional fossil fuels. The crucial difference is how they are produced. Instead of being extracted from the ground, they’re created using renewable resources such as biomass, waste or captured CO₂.
Because they behave just like fossil fuels, they can be used in existing engines and infrastructure. This makes them a “drop‑in” solution, avoiding the costly conversions needed for other low‑carbon technologies. While they may be more expensive to produce initially, their compatibility and breadth of usage gives them a major advantage.
Leading the Way: Sustainable Aviation Fuels
Aviation has emerged as one of the most promising sectors for sustainable fuels. Recognising this, the UK Government is accelerating the rollout of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) through a Contract for Difference model—similar to the mechanism that successfully scaled offshore wind. Alongside this, the UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate, which came into force on 1 January 2025, legally requires fuel suppliers to blend an increasing proportion of SAF into UK jet fuel. The mandate begins at 2% in 2025, rising to 10% by 2030 and 22% by 2040, driving long-term emissions reductions across the sector.
Together, these measures reduce financial risk, unlock early investment and create a market for SAF production. There are several SAF projects being promoted across the North West including a major SAF projects which are proposed at the Stanlow Refinery Complex in Ellesmere Port and lies adjacent to Protos. This strategic location with established energy infrastructure and a growing cluster of low-carbon industries, presents a significant opportunity to develop an integrated hub for future fuels.
Crucially, SAF can be used with little or no modification to existing aircraft engines or airport infrastructure, making it one of the most practical and immediate solutions available to decarbonise air flight. This compatibility allows SAF to deliver emissions reductions using today’s aviation fleet and fuel supply systems, helping bridge the gap while longer-term technologies continue to develop. Combined with growing policy support and emerging production capacity at potential sites such as Stanlow, it highlights the important role sustainable fuels can play in accelerating the aviation sector’s transition to net zero.
How Are Sustainable Fuels Made?
Biomass-to-Liquid (BtL)
BtL fuels are produced by converting biomass—such as purpose-grown crops, waste biomass, or algae—into syngas through gasification. This syngas is then refined into renewable liquid fuels.
Power-to-Liquid (PtL)
Power‑to‑Liquid (PtL) fuels use renewable electricity, such as wind or solar to produce hydrogen through water electrolysis. This hydrogen is then combined with captured CO₂ to form syngas, which is refined into synthetic fuels including diesel, petrol, and aviation fuel.
Both pathways represent scalable, future‑proof alternatives to fossil fuels.
Protos: Enabling the Future Fuel Revolution
At Protos, we’re already working with a number of organisations advancing next-generation fuel facilities, building on our ambition to establish the site as a leading UK hub for low-carbon energy and sustainable fuels. We offer development-ready plots within a long-established industrial area that already supports fuel processing and bunkering activities—providing both sector credibility and a clear pathway for progressive decarbonisation.
Our strategic infrastructure is a defining advantage. With established grid connection providing 124MW export and 57MW import via local electricity networks, a connection from the National Transmission System high-pressure gas with significant capacity and substantial volumes of raw and potable water across the 497 acres of potential development land, Protos is uniquely positioned to accelerate deployment at scale. The site benefits from a rich industrial past that provide utilities infrastructure which is woven throughout the local area, interconnecting existing and future industrial facilities and enabling shared services, resilience and long-term efficiency.
Critically, Protos is on track to become the UK’s first carbon capture–ready energy destination, supported by plans for a local CO₂ pipeline connecting directly into the consented regional HyNet network. This integration creates a clear pathway for carbon capture and storage, enabling future fuel producers to significantly reduce lifecycle emissions and strengthen the overall environmental case for investment.
Shaping a Cleaner, More Resilient Energy Future
Future fuels are central to strengthening UK energy security, reducing reliance on imported oil and gas, decarbonising the North West’s industrial base, and driving long-term local economic growth. Protos is designed not just as a development site, but as a catalyst for a resilient, low-carbon industrial future.
The transition to net zero won’t be driven by a single technology, but by a mix of solutions working together. Future fuels have a crucial role to play in that mix, offering flexibility, compatibility, and the opportunity to cut emissions across some of the hardest-to-decarbonise sectors.
We see future fuels as a significant opportunity to enhance energy security and support local economic growth by helping local businesses and the UK reduce its reliance on foreign oil and gas. In an increasingly uncertain global landscape, strengthening domestic capability is not just an environmental ambition, but a strategic necessity. By fostering a collaborative environment for cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices, Protos is paving the way for a future where energy production is both environmentally responsible and economically resilient.
Interested in locating at Protos? Contact us