All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest airline, has signed an offtake agreement with LanzaTech, Inc. that will allow the company to purchase sustainable aviation fuel. The move is a significant step in ANA’s efforts to minimize its environmental impact and meet sustainable development goals (SDGs). The current agreement targets 2021 for the delivery of sustainable aviation fuel, making ANA a leader in putting its green principles into practice.

“ANA has always been guided by our values, and our decision to transition to sustainable aviation fuel reflects how seriously we take our commitment to the environment,” said Akihiko Miura, executive vice president of ANA. “Adopting this advanced fuel will allow us to reduce CO2 emissions and meet the ambitious sustainable development goals that we have set for the airline. At ANA, we seek innovative solutions to the most pressing problems, and we will continue looking for ways to reduce our ecological impact in order to create a better world.”

LanzaTech is using their advanced microorganism-powered gas fermentation technology to create ethanol and commercializing technology developed in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Labs (PNNL) that allows for the production of sustainable aviation fuel. ANA signed a partnership agreement with Mitsui & Co., Ltd., which strategically invested in LanzaTech, in 2018, to jointly develop a sustainable aviation fuel manufacturing business that utilizes LanzaTech’s innovative catalytic technology. Working with Mitsui & Co., Ltd, ANA plans to implement these exciting breakthroughs by testing LanzaTech’s sustainable aviation fuel made from industrial waste emissions on new airplane deliveries this fall.

As ANA increases its global presence, the airline is working to ensure that it maintains its reputation for global leadership on issues of sustainability. This led the airline to conduct a comprehensive search for the most efficient sustainable aviation fuel, selecting LanzaTech’s unique product for its flexibility and high energy density. The sustainable aviation fuel developed by LanzaTech does not contain any sulfur and as per current international standards for all sustainable aviation fuel used in commercial flights will be blended with at least 50% conventional jet fuel, easing the transition to full sustainability.

By working with LanzaTech to implement sustainable aviation fuel, ANA hopes to enhance the quality of fuel used in its aircraft while also meeting the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as part of its efforts to become the most eco-friendly airline group in the world.