Once operational, DRAGON II is expected to deliver around 80,000 tons of SAF, about 1% of UK jet fuel requirements, and 8,000 tons of renewable diesel annually, supporting around 300 skilled jobs during its construction and 150 in operation.
Saltend Chemicals Park is owned by px Group, part of the Ara Partners portfolio of companies specialising in industrial decarbonisation investments. px Group offers world-class infrastructure, utilities, deep-water jetty access, and fully managed site services platform, and was selected after an exhaustive assessment of sites across the UK.
Development of the DRAGON projects has been aided by strong UK government support. In July 2025, LanzaTech was awarded a £6.4 million grant from the Department for Transport’s Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF), which is helping to accelerate both DRAGON I and DRAGON II projects.
Project DRAGON—which stands for Decarbonizing and Reimagining Aviation for the Goal Of Netzero - features two complementary initiatives that both use the LanzaJet® Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) process: DRAGON I in Port Talbot, South Wales; and DRAGON II, in Humberside.
LanzaTech also plans to produce in total 50kt of the ethanol to be processed at these facilities from sites in Milford Haven and Saltend using LanzaTech’s gas fermentation technology. This will convert waste carbon dioxide and green hydrogen into ethanol that will then leverage LanzaJet’s technology to convert that ethanol to produce a Power-to-Liquid (PtL) SAF. The use of green hydrogen is dependent upon amendments to current rules for SAF production due to the high cost of the hydrogen required.
The planned facility is scheduled to begin construction in the second half of 2027 and be operational during 2030. It represents a significant contribution to the UK’s net-zero ambitions, national energy security, and the creation of high-value jobs and industrial growth across the region. LanzaTech is exploring opportunities to collaborate with local partners and utilize the region’s extensive supply chains and emerging CO2 pipeline infrastructure and hydrogen production to maximize benefits to the region to reinforce Humberside’s position as a leader in industrial decarbonization.
Jim Woodger, LanzaTech Managing Director for EMEA and Americas, said, “We are excited to bring LanzaTech’s carbon recycling technology paired with our partner LanzaJet’s world-leading SAF production technology to Humberside. We anticipate we will create around 300 high quality, skilled jobs both during construction and in operation.”
Geoff Holmes, CEO of px Group, added, “This major investment from LanzaTech demonstrates Saltend’s continued attractiveness for world-first, low-carbon projects. Our plug-and-play model, deep technical expertise, and unmatched site infrastructure allow pioneers like LanzaTech to deploy innovative projects at speed and scale. DRAGON II will further strengthen the Humber’s status as the UK’s Energy Estuary, delivering jobs and a resilient, net-zero future for the region.”
