The Co-Founder of a green fuels business with big ambitions in the Humber has praised the region for its attractiveness to international investors.
Felix Leworthy, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer for ETFuels, told delegates at the Great Exhibition of Lincolnshire that the region has all the right ingredients to succeed in the energy transition.
Joining Humber Freeport’s CEO Simon Green on a panel at the conference, Mr Leworthy highlighted the strength of collaboration between public and private sectors across the Humber, and said that this, when combined with the region’s trading assets and its skilled workforce, formed a compelling investment proposition.
ETFuels has selected Immingham as the location for Project Kings Road Humber – a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) facility which will create around 400 permanent jobs, with an additional 1,000 jobs during construction.
SAF production represents a powerful investment opportunity for the Humber, with major investment already pledged in freeport tax sites in the region.
Ralph Windeatt of ABP, Lara Naqushbandi of ETFuels and Greater Lincolnshire Mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns at the site of the planned ETFuels refinery in Immingham. Credit: ABP.
At Saltend Chemicals Park, within the Humber Freeport Hull East tax site, LanzaTech is investing £600m in its DRAGON II facility. The development is expected to produce 80,000 tonnes of SAF every year; around one per cent of UK jet fuel requirements.
The announcement this summer from ETFuels further highlights the competitive edge the Humber region can give to investors in energy and a broad range of related industries.
Mr Leworthy told delegates: “We chose to locate in the Humber initially because of the port, and because we see huge export opportunity here in the region.
“We have access to the fuel pipelines we need, and there is tremendous energy capability through the industry that already exists here and the skilled workforce and ecosystem that is in place.
“That translates to a significant demand for methanol as a fuel for ships, and also to produce sustainable jet fuel. We talk a lot about competitive edge – with Immingham’s deep-water port and fuel-handling infrastructure, the Humber is one of the most competitive advanced fuels hubs in the world.”
Richard Beason, Head of Investment at Humber Freeport, at the Great Exhibition of Lincolnshire 2026.
Also on the panel alongside Mr Leworthy and Mr Green were representatives from the Office for Investment and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, with the session hosted by the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority.
Mr Green highlighted the importance of site preparation, putting the infrastructure in place to unlock investment in critical industries such as energy, food, defence and advanced manufacturing.
He said: “We must close the viability gap which exists in project development, and develop true clusters which offer depth and breadth of opportunity.
“It’s interesting that data has shown us that as much as 80 per cent of investment in a region comes from existing businesses, or businesses that already have a connection to that particular area.
“By strengthening our clusters, the region becomes more ‘sticky’ to businesses and to investors, they are more likely to stay here and grow, and our future workforce can see that the Humber can be their first port of call to build a successful career and livelihood.”
Held at the Lincolnshire Showground, the Great Exhibition of Lincolnshire brought together industry, political leaders, policymakers and the general public to celebrate innovation and growth across Greater Lincolnshire.
Humber Freeport’s CEO, Simon Green, speaking at the Great Exhibition of Lincolnshire 2026.
The event focused on three key themes – “we feed, we power, we protect” – recognising Lincolnshire’s vital contribution to food production and agriculture, energy supply and security, and defence.
Humber Freeport exhibited alongside key partners and stakeholders at the Great Exhibition, joining a busy line-up with included speeches from Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, and former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss.
Mr Green said: “We need to get our sites ready for development, whether that’s grid connections or power and broader infrastructure.
“My ask would be, could the Government please hurry up and deliver on the policies it has led on. Deploy those policies – don’t just talk about them.
“That would give businesses the certainty and the confidence they need to invest in this region and to contribute to the growth that we are all collectively striving for.”
- To read more about ETFuels and Project Kings Road Humber, visit et-fuels.com/etfuels-kings-road-humber.
