In the United States (US), sustainable fuels producer and technology developer LanzaJet, Inc., has announced an investment from Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund. This latest Microsoft investment supports scaling and global deployment of LanzaJet’s technology for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel.
According to a statement, this investment from Microsoft, the value of which has not been disclosed, enables LanzaJet to continue building its capability and capacity to deploy its sustainable fuel process technology globally.
In addition, LanzaJet and Microsoft intend to explore how Microsoft can supply its data and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to improve LanzaJet’s corporate functions and ethanol-to-jet (EtJ) process technology.
This investment in LanzaJet follows a US$50 million project finance investment from Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund in 2022 to support the construction of LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels in Soperton, Georgia (GA), the world’s first ethanol to SAF production plant, which opened in January 2024.
LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels will begin the annual production of 10 million (US) gallons (≈ 37.85 million litres) of SAF and renewable diesel in the second quarter of 2024.
Our continued alignment with Microsoft allows LanzaJet to build our team and capability at pace to support the global deployment of our leading sustainable fuels process technology. Through its support of LanzaJet’s first-of-a-kind ethanol to SAF biorefinery, LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels, Microsoft has played a significant role in making SAF production a reality in the United States, and this investment reemphasizes its urgent commitment to the decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors, said Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet.
Microsoft’s investment in LanzaJet enables it to gain access to sustainable fuels – SAF and renewable diesel – as well as SAF Certificates (SAFc) from future LanzaJet projects. Access to these products will help Microsoft on the path to becoming carbon-negative by 2030.
Microsoft is proud to support LanzaJet with our investment in the growth of its sustainable fuel technology business. Microsoft is investing in partners who share our commitment to advancing a net-zero economy and who are building the market for critical solutions like SAF and renewable diesel, said Brandon Middaugh, Senior Director, Climate Innovation Fund, Microsoft.
In addition to Microsoft, LanzaJet’s portfolio of investors and funders includes All Nippon Airways (ANA), Breakthrough Energy, British Airways, LanzaTech, Mitsui & Co., Shell, Southwest Airlines, and Suncor Energy.
