Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technology and production company LanzaJet today announced an investment from Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund. According to the company, the new investment would enable LanzaJet to continue building its capability and capacity to deploy its sustainable fuels process technology globally.

Launched in 2020 by carbon recycling technology company LanzaTech, Illinois-based LanzaJet has developed “Alcohol-to-Jet” technology enabling the creation of SAF and renewable diesel from waste-based and sustainable ethanol sources including feedstocks such as low-carbon sugarcane, energy crops, forest residuals, agricultural wastes, and organic waste.

Jimmy Samartzis, Chief Executive Officer of LanzaJet said:

“Through its support of LanzaJet’s first-of-a-kind ethanol to SAF biorefinery, LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels, Microsoft has played a significant role in making SAF production a reality in the United States, and this investment reemphasizes its urgent commitment to decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors.”

According to the companies, the new investment will also enable Microsoft to gain access to sustainable fuels – SAF and Renewable Diesel – as well as SAF Certificates (SAFc) from future LanzaJet projects which will help Microsoft on the path to becoming carbon negative by 2030. In 2022, Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund invested $50 million to support the construction of LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels in Soperton, Georgia, which opened in January 2024. That plant will begin annual production of 10 million gallons of SAF and renewable diesel in the second quarter of 2024.

LanzaJet and Microsoft also intend to explore how Microsoft can supply its data and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to improve LanzaJet’s corporate functions and ethanol to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) process technology.

Brandon Middaugh, Senior Director of Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund, said:

“Microsoft is proud to support LanzaJet with our investment in the growth of its sustainable fuel technology business. Microsoft is investing in partners who share our commitment to advancing a net-zero economy and who are building the market for critical solutions like SAF and renewable diesel.”