LanzaJet secures strategic investment from Airbus

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technology company and SAF producer LanzaJet announced July 24 a strategic investment from Airbus, a worldwide leader at the forefront of the aviation industry.

The investment enables LanzaJet to continue to build its capability and capacity to scale its proprietary ethanol-to- SAF process technology.

“LanzaJet intentionally developed a diverse portfolio of strategic investors comprised of leading global companies to ensure we have the ecosystem to scale the SAF industry,” said LanzaJet CEO Jimmy Samartzis. ​“This important investment from Airbus supports the growth of our company, enabling LanzaJet to scale the production and deployment of SAF to continue working toward meeting aviation’s decarbonization goals and developing a more sustainable industry.”

Airbus’ investment is part of LanzaJet’s recent growth-equity funding round, with support from leading companies across industries and around the world.

In the past few months, LanzaJet has announced investments from leaders from across the SAF value chain including Southwest Airlines, Microsoft, Groupe ADP, MUFG and now Airbus.

“Sustainable aviation fuels are one of the most important levers available to decarbonize aviation, but their production is still limited,” said Julie Kitcher, Airbus’ chief sustainability officer. “Our partnership with LanzaJet demonstrates Airbus’ commitment to work with leading energy-technology suppliers to explore innovative production pathways and scale SAF. This important partnership with LanzaJet underlines the importance of new technologies and cross-sector collaboration to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050.”

In addition to Airbus, LanzaJet’s portfolio of investors and funders now includes All Nippon Airways, Breakthrough Energy, British Airways, Groupe ADP, LanzaTech, Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund, Mitsui & Co., MUFG, Shell, Southwest Airlines and Suncor Energy. 

At the forefront of next generation sustainable fuel technology, LanzaJet is currently starting up the world’s first commercial-scale production of ethanol-to-SAF at LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels. 

Located in the United States, the historic plant will be producing SAF and renewable diesel from low-carbon and sustainable ethanol and serves as a blueprint to scale SAF production and combat the worsening climate crisis.

With projects spanning 25 countries and five continents, LanzaJet is working to scale ethanol-to-jet globally, and partnering with key players across the SAF value chain is critical to that mission.