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

Airbus and LanzaJet plan to advance building SAF facilities that will use LanzaJet’s proprietary alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology. The agreement also aims to accelerate the certification and adoption of 100 percent drop-in SAF which would allow existing aircraft to fly with no fossil fuel.

LanzaJet’s proprietary ATJ technology uses low-carbon ethanol to create SAF that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70 percent percent compared to fossil fuels and can further decrease emissions with a suite of carbon reduction technologies. The SAF produced is an approved drop-in fuel compatible with existing aircraft and infrastructure.

Airbus said the collaboration will also explore technological developments to enable its aircraft to be capable of flying up to 100 percent SAF before the end of the decade.

The aviation industry is responsible for approximately 2 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, along with the renewal of fleets with new-generation aircraft, Airbus noted.