LanzaTech and ANL collaborate to produce sustainable aviation fuel

The biotech company is selected to build and operate a pre-pilot facility to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from biogenic waste carbon dioxide.

LanzaTech and the Argonne National Lab (ANL) have been awarded funding for their Aviation Project in Georgia.

Though majority of the energy economy is beginning to decarbonise through electrification, the aviation sector has limited options to directly benefit from renewable electricity.

Aviation can employ CO2 utilisation where renewable electricity will be used to produce green H2, which will provide sustainable energy to convert the waste CO2.

LanzaTech plans to use renewable power from an onsite solar farm at the Soperton site, which will produce the equivalent of 35 gallons of fuel per day.

The partnership between LanzaTech, ANL, and LanzaJet supports The White House’s goals of replacing all jet fuel with sustainable alternatives by 2050.

This innovative technology could produce billions of gallons of domestic low-carbon SAF with GHG savings of nearly 100% relative to fossil jet fuel.

Additionally, as CO2 becomes available, the SAF production potential will grow, enabling GHG savings to increase as well.

As efficiency increases and more renewable power is used, the carbon intensity of fuel will reduce, helping the aviation sector reach its net zero targets.

Jennifer M. Granholm, Secretary of Energy said: “Decarbonizing transportation – particularly planes and ships that are difficult to electrify – is an essential part of the path to a net-zero carbon future.”

“These investments mobilize industries to join this effort, which will create new, good-paying jobs across the biofuels, chemical, and agricultural supply chains and boost economic activity in rural economies.”

Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech, said: “Our partnership with Argonne Labs comes at a critical time in our global fight to bend our carbon curve. This is our opportunity to decarbonize the aviation industry using the very problem that is causing climate change.”

Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet, said: “We can enable the energy transition that’s required by partnering with the corn ethanol and refining industries to recycle what would have been emitted carbon to instead create sustainable aviation and transportation fuels. It’s a win for climate, a win for existing industry, and a win for renewables.”