New Zealand government, national carrier select LanzaJet, LanzaTech to study domestic SAF production

LanzaJet and LanzaTech Global Inc. announced June 15 that they have been selected by Air New Zealand and the New Zealand Ministry for Business, Innovation, and Employment to support the second stage of a study to determine commercial viability and sustainability of domestic sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production in New Zealand.

The study will explore the use of domestic New Zealand waste products to produce SAF, primarily focusing on forestry residue.

LanzaTech will transform the waste raw materials into low-carbon ethanol through its commercially deployed gas-fermentation technology, and LanzaJet will convert ethanol into SAF with its proven and scaled-up alcohol-to-jet technology.

“A sustainable-fuels industry enables countries to gain energy independence with domestic production of fuels alongside infrastructure and economic development, while having a positive benefit on climate change—and that’s what we’re looking to enable in New Zealand,” said Jimmy Samartzis, founding CEO of LanzaJet. “We are eager to begin working with Air New Zealand and the New Zealand Ministry for Business, Innovation, and Employment to demonstrate the feasibility of SAF production in New Zealand.”

LanzaTech, which was founded in Auckland, New Zealand, will be responsible for conducting a supply-chain risk assessment while also evaluating the potential for using domestic waste to produce ethanol through gasification.

“We must accelerate deployment of SAF facilities globally to create new jobs and deliver much-needed volumes of sustainable fuels to a sector that has limited options today,” said LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren. “We appreciate the leadership shown by Air New Zealand and the New Zealand government in enabling a future where domestic wastes and residues can be meaningfully repurposed, enabling energy security and regional-growth opportunities.”

LanzaTech and LanzaJet have selected Z Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ampol Group and New Zealand’s largest fuel retailer, to support the study’s second stage by evaluating the end-to-end supply chain, including feedstock options and the economic impact to the regions.

“While there is no silver bullet in this energy transition, it’s clear SAF will play a critical role in reducing the aviation sector’s emissions,” said Z Energy CEO Lindis Jones. “Z is looking forward to being a valuable partner alongside LanzaJet and LanzaTech by leveraging its local supply-chain expertise, its previous experience supplying biofuels to customers including Air New Zealand, and the expertise of the wider Ampol Group.”

National carrier Air New Zealand and the New Zealand government are investing to support this study, following a yearlong request for proposal (RFP) process to understand which technologies are available globally and evaluate how they can be tailored to the New Zealand context.

The study supports Air New Zealand’s broader ambitions to decarbonize and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

In order to prove viability for a commercial-level SAF production facility, partners must demonstrate technical, economic, supply-chain and environmental solutions.

After completion of this study, which is expected by mid-2024, a decision will be made on proceeding with the next stages of the project, including further development and engineering work.