On 28th November 2023, a Virgin Atlantic plane successfully completed the first transatlantic flight – from London to New York – using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), showcasing and testing the feasibility of its use in long-haul operations. SAF is a cleaner alternative to fossil-based jet fuel. With the potential to reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by more than 70%, Sustainable Aviation Fuel could make a key contribution to the aviation sector’s net zero goals.

The value-adding benefits of business clustering are well-documented and apply across a broad range of sectors. Locating within hotbeds of excellence can enable companies to innovate, boost productivity and grow. In well-known examples of clusters such as the City of London, or the high-tech Cambridge Cluster, the emphasis is on a geographical concentration of sector knowledge and expertise (primarily intellectual capital), as well as supply chains and business networks. Knowhow is at the heart of industrial clusters too, and in the case of process industry – chemical manufacturing, for example – shared access to physical infrastructure is also a key driver of co-location, delivering significant value for businesses.

In the UK, Sembcorp is likely to be known as the company behind Wilton International in Teesside, supplying energy and utilities to industrial clients on the site and owning a substantial portfolio of development land available for industrial investments. Others will know Sembcorp as a leading operator of flexible power stations and Battery Energy Storage Systems - helping to dynamically manage the UK’s energy system and supporting the country’s transition to Net Zero.

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UK motorists have seen a move towards a more environmentally friendly way to travel with the introduction of E10 standard petrol in September 2021. The ‘E’ in E10 petrol is ethanol, a form of alcohol which is blended with petrol to create a fuel that helps reduce CO2 emissions from vehicles, compared with standard petrol. E10 became the standard petrol on most British forecourts from September 2021, with Northern Ireland adopting the change in early 2022.

The company has opened a new £1.3m UK headquarters facility close to its biorefinery on the Wilton International site. The move means around 20 staff working at a leased former headquarters in Yarm will join the 80-strong team at the industrial site. Dr Thomas Kirchberg, Deputy Chairman of the supervisory board of CropEnergies cutting the ribbon assisted by Peter Kay, the Ensus UK Operations Director. In the background (left to right) are Jürgen Böttcher, Grant Pearson, Commercial Director of Ensus UK and Dr Georg von Graevenitz.

Teesside is at the heart of the UK's Net Zero 2050 Strategy. Here, Sembcorp Energy UK's Andy Koss and Matthew Scrimshaw, and PD Ports' Jerry Hopkinson, talk about ambitious decarbonisation goals and investments for Wilton International and Teesport - working with customers to demonstrate a clear road map to net zero carbon... ';" class="embed-container" style="background-image: url('https://res.cloudinary.com/wilton/image/upload/v1635934237/rising-to-the-decarbonisation-challenge.jpg');background-repeat: no-repeat;"

“This is a massive infrastructure project and Sembcorp are delighted that Wilton International has been chosen for part of this major investment,” Matthew said. “It’s one of the largest construction projects that Wilton International has seen in recent years and it’s very much in alignment with our commitment to decarbonise our industrial site. Two converter substations will be built on a 20-acre plot – the first for the Sofia Wind Farm, the second for the adjacent Dogger Bank C Offshore Wind Farm.

To reach Net Zero 2050 we’re likely to need hydrogen “Hydrogen is likely to be a key piece of the decarbonisation puzzle,” says Sembcorp’s Natalie Lowery. “Government, National Grid (NG), the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) and many others agree that hydrogen is needed to reach Net Zero, and internationally big commitments are being made to it. “In the UK, the Government’s 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution sets a target for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, which they’re supporting with a range of measures including a £240 million Net Zero Hydrogen Fund.

Sembcorp, who provide utilities including power, steam, various grades of water and industrial gases to customers on the site, are committed to ongoing decarbonisation and to being a key player in Net Zero 2050. They are currently engaged in a strategy process and evaluating technologies to achieve their sustainability goals. There is a way to go but here is the story so far: 2004: Efficiency improvements and a move away from oil One of Sembcorp’s first actions back in 2003 was to approve £20 million of funding to continue a project to integrate a 40MW gas turbine into the existing power station, improving efficiency and enabling the station to respond quickly and effectively to customer demand for large quantities of power and steam.