ASAP-DAC / Project Starling

Project Starling is a planned commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facility in Workington, West Cumbria, UK, being developed by Carbon Neutral Fuels on a 40-acre brownfield site. Under its new "FlexSAF" design, the plant will produce both eSAF (from biogenic CO2, water, and renewable electricity) and advanced bioSAF (from biomethane) in a single facility sharing one Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and upgrading line. The redesign lifts targeted output 70% to approximately 42,000 metric tons per year (from 25,000), with naphtha and tail-gas by-products recycled into the syngas stream to maximize jet-fuel yield and lower cost per tonne. The project was previously advanced under a FEED agreement with Topsoe deploying its solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) technology for green hydrogen (roughly 120 MW of renewable electricity); the FlexSAF announcement names io consulting as engineering partner and does not mention Topsoe. Following a Planning Performance Agreement with Cumberland Council (June 2026), a full planning submission is expected in Spring 2028 with first fuel targeted for Q4 2031, supporting the UK SAF mandate at a time when the UK imports over 70% of its aviation fuel; the project is expected to create 500+ construction jobs and 150+ permanent operational roles.