Aviation faces one of the toughest decarbonisation challenges of any industrial sector. With demand growing and long-haul flights difficult to electrify, the industry is under increasing pressure to deliver measurable emissions reductions NOW while building credible pathways to Net Zero by 2050.
At The Carbon Removers, we’re focused on helping airlines make progress along that route in practical, deliverable ways, starting today with two complementary levers, both relying on the same underlying infrastructure:
1. High quality carbon removal credits
Carbon removal has a clear role to play as aviation works toward Net Zero. Airlines need access to permanent carbon removal to address emissions that cannot yet be eliminated, and to support credible long-term decarbonisation strategies.
British Airways is part of the first airline group to commit to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. In 2024, we signed a landmark offtake agreement to deliver carbon removal using biogenic CO₂ we capture from the Scottish whisky industry.
Caption: Carrie Harris (British Airways), Shane Healy (Operations Director, Whyte & Mackay), Gabrielle Walker (CUR8), Richard Nimmons (The Carbon Removers)
2. Sustainable aviation fuel
Alongside carbon removal, aviation must also reduce the emissions it produces in the first place, and Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will be central in achieving this. The UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate requires 10% of the fuel mix to be SAF by 2030 and 22% by 2040, placing significant near-term pressure on the aviation sector to secure reliable SAF supply and the systems that support it.
That’s why we’re pleased to announce a new partnership with CNF, a UK-based emerging producer of sustainable aviation fuel, with the aim of supplying (starting 2031) 50,000 – 100,000 metric tonnes per annum of locally sourced biogenic CO2 from the North of England and Southern Scotland.
At an operational level, the collaboration supports CNF’s plans for the UK’s first-of-a-kind commercial eSAF facility in Cumbria, Project Starling. The project is currently in Front End Engineering Design and is supported by more than £7 million in funding from the Department for Transport, alongside investment from a seed round led by Trailfinders.
Alasdair Lumsden, Co-Founder and Director, CNF, said:
Building a first-of-a-kind plant requires partners whose expertise we can trust at every stage, and The Carbon Removers brings exactly that.
Once live, the Cumbrian plant is expected to contribute 35-40% of the UK’s mandated Power-to-Liquid SAF supply in 2030, marking an important step in the decarbonisation of British aviation.
Why SAF matters for carbon removal
Producing SAF requires a dependable supply of high-quality CO₂, alongside storage, transport, and robust monitoring systems. For us, supporting SAF is not about fuel production alone; it’s about building a home grown infrastructure now to make both SAF and carbon removal possible.
Raphael Pfaeltzer, CEO, The Carbon Removers, stated:
The infrastructure needed for sustainable aviation fuel is exactly the same as that required for delivering carbon removal at scale. Working together with partners across SAF not only supports the development of a resilient carbon economy, but also helps put in place what’s needed to make carbon removal happen.
That infrastructure is tangible: CO₂ capture and conditioning, tanks and terminals, logistics, and measurement and monitoring systems. Our partnership with CNF is the next step in building the infrastructure to scale the delivery of high quality carbon removal and a reliable source of SAF.
Mark Amor, Commercial Director, CNF, added:
We’re excited to work in partnership with The Carbon Removers to build the carbon supply chains and wider carbon economy of the North West and West of Scotland. Their proven expertise strengthens our project and anchors green-growth investment in Cumbria, helping secure the resilient, home-grown SAF supply the UK needs for the future.
To find out more, please contact:
hello@thecarbonremovers.com
