ANA is one of the few airlines that has adopted the use of SAF through a procurement agreement with Neste, who inked a deal with Shell Aviation in September last year to increase its supply.
Energy conglomerate Shell has invested in sustainable fuel producer LanzaJet to accelerate the commercialisation of the latter’s alcohol-to-jet technology and scale up the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to drive the decarbonisation of the aviation industry.
The investment comes as LanzaJet continues its work to build the first alcohol-to-jet (AtJ) facility in Soperton, Georgia, which is scheduled to start operations in 2022. The commercial-scale plant is expected to produce 10 million gallons per year.
LanzaJet’s process can use any source of sustainable ethanol for jet fuel production, including, but not limited to, ethanol made from recycled pollution. Its SAF delivers more than a 70 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on a lifecycle basis, compared to conventional fossil jet fuel.
Also read: DHL Express paves path to zero emissions with Shell SAF deal
In addition to its initial injection, Shell said it will have the opportunity to make further investments in the construction of ‘larger scale’ production facilities over the coming years.
“This innovative phased investment approach significantly accelerates commercial deployment at a time when reducing emissions, especially of aviation, is increasingly important and demonstrates a joint commitment to creating a resilient, low carbon future. With the right policies to support the uptake and production of SAF, aviation can achieve net-zero emissions,” Shell commented.
The company joins other founding investors in the sustainable fuel tech company, including LanzaTech, Suncor Energy Inc., Mitsui & Co., Ltd., and British Airways, with participation from All Nippon Airways (ANA).
LanzaJet was created in June of last year by alternative-energy technology company LanzaTech, Payload Asia learned, with plans to develop four plants to produce sustainable jet fuel as well as renewable diesel.
In Asia, ANA is one of the few airlines that has adopted the use of SAF through a procurement agreement with Neste, who inked a deal with Shell Aviation in September last year to increase its supply. DHL Express is the first customer to be supplied under Shell and Neste’s SAF supply agreement.
