Macquarie Asset Management announced today an initial investment of up to €175 million (USD$190 million) in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) producer SkyNRG, aimed at supporting the company’s growth, and its ambition to become a major SAF producer through the development and operation of SAF production facilities.

Sustainable aviation fuel is seen as one of the key tools to help decarbonize the aviation industry, which currently accounts for 2-3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The investment comes as demand for SAF is expected to rise dramatically over the next few years, as airlines turn to the technology as one of the key solutions to hit their climate goals, and as governments begin to mandate increased SAF use to achieve their own decarbonization ambitions. The EU, for example, recently announced the adoption of a law mandating minimum SAF usage, increasing to 70% of fuel blends by 2050, and the Inflation Reduction Act in the U.S. encourages the use of SAF via strong tax incentives.

Founded in 2010, Amsterdam-based SkyNRG aims to build up SAF to enable the aviation sector to meet its 2050 net zero commitment. The company was the first in the world to supply SAF on a commercial flight flown by co-founder and shareholder KLM in 2011, and has to date supplied SAF to over 40 airlines globally. SkyNRG is looking to build dedicated SAF facilities in Europe and the U.S. by 2030, in cooperation with strategic offtake partners.

Philippe Lacamp, CEO of SkyNRG, said:

“It is critical that SAF production capacity is developed now to enable the aviation industry to meet its net-zero goals. We are very proud that Macquarie has made this strategic investment in our business and are confident that they, with the ongoing support of our existing shareholders, will provide us with the resources and expertise we need to accelerate our growth journey towards becoming a major player in the SAF industry.”

The investment was led by Macquarie’s specialist Green Investments team (MAM Green Investments), and was made through the Macquarie GIG Energy Transition Solutions (MGETS) Fund.

Mark Dooley, Global Head of MAM Green Investments, said:

“This is an exciting milestone for us, as our first SAF investment. SkyNRG has been a pioneer in SAF, with an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong commercial focus. We look forward to collaborating with the SkyNRG team as they grow their business and advance solutions to decarbonise the aviation industry.”