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LanzaJet celebrated the grand opening of its LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuel, the world's first alcohol-to-jet SAF production facility.
"Today is testament to the conviction required by industry, government, and funders to advance innovation and stretch the boundaries of what is achievable to address decarbonization and tackle climate change," LanzaJet CEO Jimmy Samartzis said. "This is a historic milestone in a long history of firsts for LanzaJet, the United States, and the SAF industry globally. Our novel LanzaJet ethanol to SAF process technology is now deployed at our commercial plant in Georgia which will convert ethanol into drop-in SAF.
"As we start up the plant, we will continue to refine our technology, while launching our efforts to advance new sustainable fuels projects globally," Samartzis said. "Between feedstock versatility, efficiency, and economics that enable scale in the US and globally, we stand ready to meet aviation's decarbonization goals established at the United Nations and country ambitions, such as the U.S. SAF Grand Challenge."
The new facility in Soperton, Georgia will begin producing 10 million gallons of SAF and renewable diesel per year, created from ethanol and using a range of sustainable, low-carbon intensity ethanol like from water-based feedstocks, to increase the current amount of SAF production in the U.S. The fuel produced will meet both U.S. and global standards. With LanzaJet's tech, the current and future supply volume needed to support a scaled SAF industry, along with the White House's SAF Grand Challenge calling for three billion gallons annually by 2030 to reduce aviation emissions.
"The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to harnessing the full potential of SAF as we continue to build a strong economy that is sustainable, resilient, competitive, and keeps rural places thriving," U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said. "As we transition to SAF, this will not only create new climate-smart commodity markets for American producers, but it will also help American companies such as LanzaJet corner the market of a valuable, emerging industry, while revitalizing rural communities like Soperton with agriculture front and center in the effort. LanzaJet's facility will help accelerate the SAF industry and provide new economic opportunities for producers for a more sustainable future."
LanzaJet's technology is seen as the pioneering ethanol-to-SAF production process and pathway. The unique technology was introduced as the world's first viable next-gen SAF technology, able to scale production to the levels necessary to decarbonize aviation through widely available feedstock, emerging commercial waste-based feedstock solutions and optimistic economic conditions. The Freedom Pine Fuels location represents the most capable SAF technology in close to ten years to reach commercial readiness. LanzaJet will use its proprietary ethanol-to-SAF technology to serve as a blueprint for using innovation to scale SAF production and fight the worsening climate crisis.Yesterday's @LanzaJet grand opening marks a major stride in our efforts to power the nation's aviation sector with fuel grown right here at home by hard-working Americans while creating economic opportunity for American farmers, business owners, and rural communities. pic.twitter.com/D8oiLBmjps— Secretary Tom Vilsack (@SecVilsack) January 25, 2024
The new plant represents a culmination of firsts within the SFS industry. LanzaJet emerged in 2010 with the first ethanol-to-SAF technology to have derived from a collaboration with the Pacific Northwest National Lab. The technology was used on commercial flights with Virgin Atlantic and All Nippon Airways in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
The SAF produced in Soperton will be used as a drop-in fuel for existing aircraft, which contribute two to three percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions from humans. The tech LanzaJet is using will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 70 percent and is produced from different feedstocks including agricultural waste, municipal solid waste, energy crops and carbon captured from industrial processes. Freedom Pines Fues is fully funded and has committed off-take agreements for all of the fuel it produces over the next decade. The plant is less than 100 miles from Savannah, located in Treutlen County, Georgia. The SAF facility will create over 250 jobs and generate roughly $70 million in annual economic activity for the local economy.
"LanzaJet is serious about urgently meeting the moment to decarbonize aviation and Freedom Pines Fuels is evidence of that," LanzaJet Board Director Sir David King said. "This facility will use innovative ethanol-to-jet technology and substantially increase the amount of SAF produced for the world's airlines and aviation industry. In large part due to projects such as this one, we are making real climate progress in aviation."