A feasibility study funded by Bristol Airport’s Airport Carbon Transition (ACT) programme has concluded that small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) sited in England’s South West could supply the airport with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and hydrogen, reducing flight emissions by an estimated 29% by 2035.
The study was carried out by Equilibrion with support from Q8Aviation and pipeline operator Exolum. Equilibrion’s technology programme, known as Eq.flight, has also received separate funding from the UK Department for Transport — a signal that the government views nuclear-derived SAF as a credible pathway alongside bio-derived and electrofuel routes.
The report adds to growing industry evidence that nuclear-derived SAF could offer a viable low-carbon production pathway, particularly in regions with existing nuclear infrastructure and expertise. It arrives as the UK SAF sector grapples with feedstock constraints on conventional HEFA production and the slow commercial pace of eSAF deployment. Nuclear-derived fuels are positioned as a third pathway that bypasses both bottlenecks, using SMR-generated electricity and process heat to drive hydrogen electrolysis and synthetic fuel synthesis.
“With our region’s nuclear pedigree and available sites, the South West is well-positioned to host SMRs and lead the development of this exciting technology.” — Hannah Pollard, Bristol Airport
According to the report, SMRs deployed in the South West could generate the electricity and process heat required to drive electrolysis for hydrogen production and to power the synthesis routes used in nuclear-derived SAF production. The same hydrogen infrastructure could support decarbonisation of airport ground operations and, eventually, hydrogen-powered aircraft types.
Hannah Pollard, head of sustainability at Bristol Airport, said the study demonstrates “the huge potential that nuclear-derived SAF offers,” citing the region’s nuclear history and available sites as competitive advantages. Phil Rogers, director at Equilibrion, described completion of the study as a “major milestone” in the company’s mission to decarbonise aviation using nuclear energy, noting that the Eq.flight programme “provides a unique opportunity to produce low-carbon fuels close to where they are used, creating jobs, investment, and local value.”
The proposal does face significant headwinds. Critics point to high upfront capital costs, radioactive waste management, regulatory hurdles, and public acceptance as barriers to nuclear-derived SAF. Integrating SMRs with chemical synthesis plants would require novel regulatory approvals, grid and off-grid planning, and construction lead times that bio-derived and power-to-liquid SAF pathways do not face.
The Bristol Airport study builds on Equilibrion’s earlier partnership with Rolls-Royce SMR, announced in early 2026, which assessed a nuclear SAF scheme its backers estimated could yield up to 160 million litres of fuel per reactor annually. With the Bristol Airport feasibility study now complete, Equilibrion is advancing toward the next stage of project development.
Source: New Civil Engineer
