LanzaTech, LanzaJet partner with Wagner for SAF production in Australia

LanzaTech Global, Inc. and LanzaJet, Inc. have partnered with Wagner Sustainable Fuels to launch a new project aimed at producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Brisbane, Australia. The collaboration will utilise the CirculAir™ platform, an end-to-end commercial technology solution that converts waste feedstocks into SAF, marking the first project of its kind in Australia.

The project has garnered significant support, receiving financial investments from The Boeing Company and the Queensland Government. The new facility is expected to create jobs, enhance domestic energy security, and contribute to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions from aviation.

Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech and board chair of LanzaJet, expressed confidence in the project’s ability to unlock carbon from waste-based resources in Australia, supporting local demand and furthering global decarbonisation efforts. The CirculAir platform combines LanzaTech’s carbon recycling technology and LanzaJet’s Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technology to transform waste carbon into SAF, a critical step toward achieving net-zero emissions in the aviation industry by 2050.

“There is enough carbon above ground to transition the 100 billion gallons of fossil fuel-derived jet fuel consumed each year to jet fuel made from recycled carbon. The flexibility of the CirculAir platform makes it possible for this project to unlock carbon from the myriad waste-based resources available in Australia to meet local demand,” said Holmgren.

Enhancing SAF production is critical for aviation to reduce its carbon footprint, as it is estimated that SAF will account for 65-70% of the emission reductions needed to meet the industry’s 2050 goal of net zero emissions. Historic supply constraints, high costs, and technical barriers have made it difficult for the industry to default to SAF as the primary aviation fuel source. The CirculAir platform breaks down these barriers, as the technology is able to turn a wide range of waste-based feedstocks into SAF to meet demand.

“Our partnership with LanzaTech and LanzaJet will advance the Wagner SAF Refinery in Brisbane, accelerating the SAF industry in Australia and helping to decarbonise aviation by 2050,” said Matt Doyle, Wagner Sustainable Fuels chief executive officer. “Together, these proven technologies can help us realize Australia’s first, fully integrated SAF production facility and provide a path to producing domestic fuel at scale.”

Wagner Sustainable Fuels is an Australian company focused on producing renewable liquid fuels, specifically SAF and renewable diesel (RD). The company aims to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation and heavy transport, which are significant contributors to global CO₂ emissions.

Wagner Sustainable Fuels is actively developing facilities to produce SAF and RD domestically, with projects like the SAF blending facility at Wellcamp Airport in Toowoomba, Queensland. This facility, expected to be operational by the end of 2024, marks a significant step towards establishing a consistent supply of SAF in Australia.