First Sustainable Aviation Fuel Plant in U.S. Opens in Georgia

What was, at one time, conceived to be impossible now has been proven as possible, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said while attending the grand opening of the first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in the United States.

LanzaJet, a leading sustainable fuels technology company and sustainable fuels producer, recently joined government officials, industry leaders, partners, and supporters to open LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels, the world's first ethanol-to-SAF production facility, in Soperton, Georgia. The plant is projected to produce 10 million gallons of SAF and renewable diesel per year from ethanol.

LanzaJet's technology is recognized as the pioneering ethanol-to-SAF production process and pathway. The ethanol-based technology is the world's first viable next-generation SAF technology capable of scaling production to the levels needed to decarbonize aviation through widely available and sustainable feedstock, emerging commercial waste-based feedstock solutions, and promising economic conditions.

"Today is testament to the conviction required by industry, government, and funders to advance innovation and stretch the boundaries of what is achievable to address decarbonization and tackle climate change. This is a historic milestone in a long history of firsts for LanzaJet, the United States, and the SAF industry globally," said LanzaJet chief executive officer Jimmy Samartzis. "Our novel LanzaJet ethanol-to-SAF process technology is now deployed at our commercial plant in Georgia, which will convert ethanol into drop-in SAF.”
As production starts up, the company will continue to refine its technology while launching efforts to advance new sustainable fuel projects globally, Samartzis added.

"At the end of the day, if we're really going to mitigate the consequences of a changing climate, the transportation sector clearly has to get to a net zero future. In order for it to get to a net zero future, aviation has to get there as well, and it can't get there without a sustainable aviation fuel. So, this is a day to celebrate a very significant step forward," Vilsack noted during his remarks.

In addition to the environmental benefits the plant will provide, Vilsack celebrated what the plant means for farmers and rural communities nationwide. "This is about creating the opportunity for folks to do what they love to do and to pass it on to the next generation and, in doing so, preserve and protect a value system that is critically important to our national security and to our very essence."

If things go as planned, Vilsack said there could be plants similar to LanzaJet's all across the nation, generating a lot of demand for the feedstock needed to produce the ethanol. "There need to be, and ought to be, multiple feedstocks in order for this market opportunity to be available all over the United States, not just in one or two regions of the country."

The Iowa Corn Promotion Board urged farmers, specifically in Iowa, to not miss an opportunity to participate in something that "could grow the largest new market ever seen for U.S. farm commodities."

"No Iowa ethanol plant currently has a carbon intensity score low enough to qualify as a SAF feedstock. Only one plant in the U.S., using carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), is currently producing SAF-friendly ethanol," the association said. "By contrast, Brazil produces over 7 billion gallons of ethanol with a carbon score expected to qualify for SAF production."

EDITOR’S TAKE:

As we often say in this newsletter, expanding markets for agricultural commodities increases income prospects for farmers which eventually creates additional opportunities for truck sales. Now that the concept of using ethanol to produce aviation fuel has been thoroughly tested, it is time to commercialize and grow supply. The plant opening in Georgia is a good first step and we applaud their efforts and wish them success. Corn is currently the main feedstock for ethanol because it has the best conversion rate and is widely grown. Could there be other feedstocks? Indeed. For instance, sugarbeets have also been used as a feedstock. So, the research and development aspect of this new operation is also a key to any future success and expansion. Farmers are clearly on a path to an even more solid financial foundation with developments such as this. Make sure you keep that top of mind when planning your customer target list for 2024 and beyond!