LanzaJet on Jan. 24 celebrated the grand opening of its commercial-scale ethanol-to-sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) biorefinery. The LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels facility, located in Soperton, Georgia, has the capacity to produce 10 MMgy of advanced biofuels, including 9 MMgy of SAF and 1 MMgy of renewable diesel.SAF produced at the Soperton facility will be used immediately as drop-in aviation fuel. According to LanzaJet, the technology used at the facility will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 70% when compared to fossil jet fuel.&nbsp;LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels is fully funded and has committed offtake agreements for all fuel produced in the next 10 years. Development of the facility has created more than 250 total jobs and is expected to generate an estimated $70 million in annual economic activity for the local economy, according to the company.“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&nbsp;historic milestone in a&nbsp;long history of firsts for LanzaJet, the United States, and the SAF industry globally,” said&nbsp;LanzaJet CEO Jimmy Samartzis.&nbsp;​“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 we start-up the plant, we will continue to refine our technology, while launching our efforts to advance new sustainable fuels projects globally. Between feedstock versatility, efficiency, and economics that enable scale in the U.S. and globally, we stand ready to meet aviation’s decarbonization goals established at the United Nations and country ambitions, such as the U.S. SAF Grand Challenge.”&nbsp;The opening of the LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels plant represents the culmination of more than a decade of work. Ethanol-to-jet technology used at the facility originated in 2010 via a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, according to LanzaJet. The technology’s first commercial flights were completed with Virgin Atlantic and All Nippon Airways in 2018 and 2019, respectively.&nbsp;U.S. Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk were among the officials who gathered in Soperton to celebrate the grand opening of the LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels facility.&nbsp;“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to harnessing the full potential of SAF as we continue to build a&nbsp;strong economy that is sustainable, resilient, competitive, and keeps rural places thriving,” Vilsack said.&nbsp;​“As we transition to SAF, this will not only create new climate smart commodity markets for American producers, but it will also help American companies such as LanzaJet corner the market of a&nbsp;valuable, emerging industry, while revitalizing rural communities like Soperton with agriculture front and center in the effort. LanzaJet’s facility will help accelerate the SAF industry and provide new economic opportunities for producers for a&nbsp;more sustainable future.”"The completion of this facility highlights how the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach is helping build a cleaner, healthier, and safer future through American workers and homegrown clean energy solutions,” Turk said. “This is a huge win for Georgia’s economy and a testament to the importance of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda in driving new economic opportunities to communities across the country and reinforcing our nation’s industrial might."The Renewable Fuels Association is applauding the opening of the LanzaJet facility. “We congratulate the men and women of LanzaJet on this exciting achievement,” said Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the RFA. “Today’s grand opening gives the ethanol industry great optimism about the game-changing market opportunity presented by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). We hope Lanzajet’s Freedom Pines biorefinery is the first of many facilities across the country to use low-carbon ethanol as a feedstock to produce SAF, and we look forward to working with our partners in the biorefining and airline sectors to facilitate rapid growth in the sector. Our nation’s farmers and ethanol producers stand ready to serve this growing market, with production capacity and transportation infrastructure already in place to meet future demand. But for that vision to become a reality, we need the Biden administration to embrace sound science and swiftly finalize the modeling tools that will be used to determine eligibility for crucial SAF tax incentives.”&nbsp;The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association is also celebrating the opening of the plant. “Today and every day going forward, American farmers and ethanol producers are losing demand until we get carbon capture and sequestration online,” said Monte Shaw, IRFA executive director, who was in Georgia today to witness the LanzaJet grand opening. “LanzaJet is proving that SAF from ethanol is here today. Now it is up to us to produce a qualifying ethanol feedstock. Iowans need to realize that CCS is the key to the new market. Regardless of individual views on carbon policy, our business is making the products our customers want and right now we can’t do that.”The U.S. EPA in January 2023 <a href="https://ethanolproducer.com/articles/epa-approves-rfs-fuel-pathway-for-lanzajets-georgia-facility-19894">approved a Renewable Fuel Standard fuel pathway</a> for the Soperton plant. That pathway allows the facility to generate D4 biomass-based diesel renewable identification numbers (RINs) for renewable jet fuel and renewable diesel produced at the plant from sugarcane ethanol.&nbsp;

2024-01-25 - LanzaJet opens 10 MMgy ethanol-to-SAF facility in Georgia  (3 publications)

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LanzaJet on Jan. 24 celebrated the grand opening of its ethanol-to-SAF biorefinery. The LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels facility, located in Soperton, Georgia, has the capacity to produce 10 MMgy of advanced biofuels,

LanzaJet opens 10 MMgy ethanol-to-SAF facility in Georgia

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