Airbus, LanzaJet to collaborate on SAF production

Photo: Airbus

LanzaJet and Airbus announced June 22 that they have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to address the needs of aviation through the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The agreement was signed by Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet, and Julie Kitcher, executive vice president of corporate affairs and sustainability at Airbus, and it was announced during the Paris Air Show.

The MOU establishes a relationship between LanzaJet and Airbus to advance the building of SAF facilities that will use the LanzaJet Process™, a leading, proven and proprietary alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology.

This agreement also aims to accelerate the certification and adoption of 100 percent drop-in SAF, which would eliminate the use of fossil fuels without necessitating any changes to existing aircraft or infrastructure.

The aviation industry is responsible for approximately 2 percent to 3 percent of global carbon-dioxide emissions, and SAF has been identified by airlines, governments and energy leaders as one of the most immediate solutions to decarbonize aviation, together with the renewal of the fleets by latest-generation aircraft and better operations.

“SAF is the best near-term solution to reducing aviation emissions and this collaboration between LanzaJet and Airbus is an important step forward in the fight against climate change and enabling the global energy transition,” Samartzis said. “We look forward to continuing our work with Airbus and further grow our joint impact across the globe.”

LanzaJet’s proprietary ATJ technology uses low-carbon ethanol to create SAF that reduces greenhouse-gas emissions by more than 70 percent compared to fossil fuels and can further decrease emissions with a suite of carbon-reduction technologies.

SAF produced through LanzaJet’s ATJ technology is an approved drop-in fuel compatible with existing aircraft and infrastructure.

“We are delighted to grow our partnership with LanzaJet, a leading company in the SAF-production ecosystem,” Kitcher said. “At Airbus we are committed to supporting SAF as a major lever in the reduction of CO2 emissions on the decarbonization roadmap. With LanzaJet as a trusted partner, we can support the acceleration of the alcohol-to-jet SAF production pathway and at scale. This collaboration will also explore technological developments to enable Airbus aircraft to be capable of flying up to 100 percent SAF before the end of the decade.”

The whole ecosystem is playing an essential role to ensure the increased uptake of SAF.

Besides working on the technical aspects and concrete SAF projects, LanzaJet and Airbus will investigate business opportunities across the world with airlines and other stakeholders.