Exolum invests £4.5m in first independent UK SAF blending facility linked to major airports

Exolum, one of Europe’s largest bulk liquid storage and distribution companies, has announced a £4.5m investment in a new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blending facility at its Redcliffe Bay aviation fuel facility in southwest England. The site will become the first independent SAF blending hub in the UK, forming a key node in Exolum’s broader plan for a nationwide “SAF Superhighway.”

image: Exolum

The facility will tie directly into Exolum’s existing 2,000 km pipeline network, enabling blended SAF to be distributed to a number of major airports across southern England and Wales — including Heathrow, Gatwick, Bristol, Exeter and Cardiff.

At Redcliffe Bay, Exolum will convert current aviation fuel storage tanks to safely handle SAF and install advanced blending infrastructure. The upgrades will also include new pumps, filtration systems and segregation valves to maintain fuel integrity.

Unblended SAF will initially arrive by ship at Bristol’s Royal Portbury Dock, before being pumped via pipeline to the Redcliffe Bay site for processing. Once blended, the drop-in SAF will enter Exolum’s national distribution system.

Exolum aims for the facility to be operational in 2026, with the capacity to support the equivalent of around 64,700 flights per year on a London–New York route basis.

Stephen Land, Exolum’s North West Europe lead, said the Redcliffe Bay project “turns the UK’s ambitions for greener flights into reality,” underlining the company’s long-term commitment to sustainable aviation.

The project future proofs Exolum’s aviation fuel logistics operations, converting traditional fuel tanks and incorporating blending capacity into a pipeline network that serves multiple airports. By providing a market-access route via its blending and pipeline network, the company says it will enable new SAF plants in the UK to reach major aviation hubs.

Keir Mather MP, UK Aviation Minister, welcomed the development, highlighting the role of blending hubs in supporting SAF production and reinforcing the government’s green aviation goals.