Airbus is investing in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technology pioneer and producer LanzaJet, underscoring the aerospace giant's ambition to catalyze the global development of eco-friendly biofuels. LanzaJet and Airbus did not specify the amount of the investment, but LanzaJet CEO Jimmy Samartzis called the contribution from Airbus "important" for the growth of the company.

This investment will support the development of alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) pathways, or the process by which alcohol from biomass gets converted to SAF—an important step required to produce the alternative fuel at scale. It will also enable LanzaJet to expand its capability and capacity to scale its proprietary ethanol-to-SAF technologies.

“Sustainable aviation fuels are one of the most important levers available to decarbonize aviation, but their production is still limited," said Airbus chief sustainability officer Julie Kitcher. "Our partnership with LanzaJet demonstrates Airbus' commitment to working with leading energy technology suppliers to explore innovative production pathways and scale SAF."

LanzaJet’s technology uses low-carbon ethanol to create SAF that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70% compared with fossil fuels on a lifecycle basis. It 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 engines and associated infrastructure, the OEM said.

The company is operating the world’s first commercial-scale production of ethanol-to-SAF at its Freedom Pines Fuels facility, which opened earlier this year. Located in the U.S., the plant will produce SAF and renewable diesel from low-carbon and sustainable ethanol and serves as a blueprint to scale SAF production. With projects spanning 25 countries and five continents, LanzaJet is working to scale ATJ globally and partnering with key players across the SAF value chain.