The Department of Transport will provide £15 million funding through its ‘Green Fuels, Green Skies’ competition to companies developing sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

The competition was launched as part of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan in March of this year and eight companies have been shortlisted to share the funding.

These eight companies are developing technologies to convert materials such as household waste, alcohol, carbon and sewage into SAF, which can reduce emissions by up to 70% compared with conventional fuel.

The fuel developed will be used by UK-based airlines including British Airways.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps commented: “Aviation will be central to our future growth and plans to build back greener from the pandemic, which is why we have invested more than £20 million in the past year to decarbonise the sector in line with our world-leading net zero targets.”