Dubai Participates In The Solent Cluster, A British Low-carbon Investment Initiative

The Solent Cluster is a UK initiative to reduce CO2 emissions from transportation, industry, and households. South Coast England has welcomed Emirate as it is the first international airline to participate. 

The Solent Cluster is dedicated to low-carbon investments. Manufacturers and engineering firms, regional businesses and industries, industry leaders in logistics and infrastructure, and academic institutions are all members of the Solent Cluster, an international cross-sector alliance. 

As a founding member of the Cluster, Emirates joins more than one hundred other organisations, including ExxonMobil and the University of Southampton. And the Solent Partners (formerly the Solent LEP). The founding members disseminated particulars of their respective visions regarding Solent's potential to generate low-carbon fuels for diverse industries, including aviation.

With an estimated annual fuel production capacity of 200,0000 tonnes (200kt), the Solent Cluster can establish a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) facility. The plant might begin operations in 2032, pending approval. By attaining a 70% reduction in emissions compared to fossil petroleum, jet fuel manufactured at the SAF plant could prevent the release of 563 kilotons of CO2 annually. Emirates serves significant airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick, with SAF from the facility via pre-existing pipeline networks.

The Emirate has announced several SAF initiatives in the past year. These extend into the long-term goal of acquiring SAF produced in the United Kingdom through The Solent Cluster. It follows the 2023 demonstration flights of Emirates ' A380 and Boeing 777 powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel. In 2024 and 2025, Emirates will receive SAF for its operations in Amsterdam and Singapore through an expanded partnership with Neste. In addition, beginning with commercial flights in October 2023, the airline lifted SAF for the first time at its Dubai headquarters.

President of Emirates Airlines, Sir Tim Clark, stated, "Emirates is honoured to participate in The Solent Cluster Initiative alongside other compatible organisations. The Cluster represents another stride in our network's pursuit of long-term SAF adoption and possesses the capacity to influence renewable energy production and innovation significantly. In addition to observing the positive effects that The Solent Cluster has on the Southeast region, local economy, and broader industries, we eagerly anticipate working with our fellow members to contribute to these endeavours.

"The Solent is annually identified as one of the leading contributors of CO2 emissions from energy-intensive manufacturing processes," said Dr Lindsay-Marie Armstrong, academic cluster lead for the Solent Industrial Decarbonisation Cluster and associate lecturer of mechanical engineering at the University of Southampton. A historic development for the region is establishing a decarbonisation cluster comprising representatives from the private, public, and higher education sectors. It will generate low-carbon energy for heating residential, commercial, and public structures, implement sustainable fuels for local aviation, shipping, and transportation, and generate new opportunities for highly specialised employment. Attaining a low-carbon economic future for the Solent region is a goal that can solely be realised through community collaboration across all sectors and with a shared aspiration.


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