Plans for a £500 million green jet fuel refinery on the South Humber Bank have been recommended for approval.
North East Lincolnshire’s specialist officers have given the huge inward investment - backed by British Airways and Shell - the green light, with the decision now down to councillors next week.
Velocys, an Oxford University spin-out merged with a US technology specialist, has brought forward the Altalto Immingham proposal at Hobson Way, Stallingborough, with refuse to be converted into aviation fuel.
Revealed in December 2018 when the 80-acre site was secured, the proposal was submitted to the local authority in August, having also attracted early stage support from the Department for Transport.
Prince Charles was also briefed on the project as he helped BA celebrate its 100th anniversary in February.
At launch, Henrik Wareborn, chief executive of Velocys, told how the Energy Estuary - renowned for fuels production expertise and a skilled local workforce - had been a big draw.
There is also an existing direct pipeline to Heathrow Airport from near-neighbour Total Lindsey Oil Refinery, and it will be 'plug-in ready' for any carbon capture and storage scheme brought forward - with Drax and other working on a huge Humber-wide scheme.
Still subject to final investment decision and full funding, hundreds of jobs would be created in the complex build, with 50 to 100 permanent roles - from trade-trained technicians and engineers to PhD graduates envisaged - and a long-term boost to the contractor community.
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It is also scalable, with potential to blend, mix and store at the existing Humber bank facilities also a consideration.
The report to be put to councillors on Wednesday, May 20, describes a “thorough and detailed submission” which has been “reviewed by the relevant statutory and non-statutory consultees whose responses have been given full consideration”. It states: “The proposal would deliver socio-economic benefits including up to 100 jobs and an investment in the region of £500 million.
“The proposal would not harm the area character or local amenity, have significant impact on ecology and is acceptable under all other planning considerations including highway safety. “It will support the economic development of the area. This proposal is approved in accordance with the North East Lincolnshire Local Plan 2013-2032.”
It forms a core part of the authority's £42 million South Humber Industrial Investment Programme, with the award-winning ecological mitigation site helping to ease such investments. It neighbours Southy Humber Bank Power Station, the distinctive gas-fired plant owned by EP海角视频I, with plans currently being brought forward to build an additional waste-to-energy plant there too. Due to the size - 95MW capacity - it has just been accepted for examination by the national Planning Inspectorate, having obtained planning consent for a smaller operation from NELC.
Officers recommend if approved, the council’s director of economy and growth, Clive Tritton, should be given delegated powers to accept amends on Altalto Immingham and see the project through, with a 25-point condition sheet to be met as part of the recommendation to approve.
It is subject to no objection from Natural England and that utility providers National Grid and Cadant Gas accept the changes.