On August 19, 2024, LanzaTech Global, Inc., a carbon recycling company that converts waste carbon into sustainable fuels, chemicals, and materials, and LanzaJet, Inc., a leading producer and technology provider of sustainable fuels, announced a new project with Australia’s Wagner Sustainable Fuels. The project will assess the integration of the CirculAir™ platform at Wagner’s Brisbane SAF Refinery. This platform, jointly developed by LanzaTech and LanzaJet, transforms waste carbon and renewable power into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

In addition to the commercial partnership with LanzaTech and LanzaJet, the project has secured financial backing from The Boeing Company and the Queensland Government. The initiative is expected to deliver several advantages, including job creation in Queensland, bolstering Australia’s domestic energy security, and contributing to the reduction of global aviation emissions.

Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech and Board Chair of LanzaJet, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, stating, “Our joint solution with Wagner Sustainable Fuels will accelerate the growth of a domestic SAF market in Australia. There is more than enough carbon available to replace the 100 billion gallons of fossil jet fuel consumed annually with fuel made from recycled carbon. The flexibility of the CirculAir platform allows us to tap into the wide range of waste-based resources in Australia to meet local demand.”

The CirculAir process begins with LanzaTech’s technology, which converts local waste streams, including industrial emissions and municipal solid waste, into CarbonSmart™ ethanol. This ethanol is then processed using LanzaJet’s Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technology to produce drop-in SAF. The CirculAir platform is designed to support aviation’s decarbonization by utilizing various locally sourced waste-based feedstocks to produce SAF at the scale needed to replace fossil fuels.

Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet, highlighted the significance of this project, noting, “The Wagner Sustainable Fuels project positions Australia as a leader in SAF production, leveraging the CirculAir platform to convert diverse forms of waste carbon into sustainable fuels. By combining LanzaJet’s SAF technology with LanzaTech’s carbon recycling expertise, we can establish a domestic SAF supply chain using local renewable waste resources, enhancing Australia’s energy security while preserving its environment.”

The expansion of SAF production is crucial for the aviation industry to meet its net-zero emissions goal by 2050. SAF is expected to account for 65-70% of the required emission reductions. However, supply shortages, high costs, and technical challenges have hindered the widespread adoption of SAF. The CirculAir platform addresses these issues by enabling the conversion of a broad range of waste feedstocks into SAF, which is gaining adoption worldwide. This global uptake is anticipated to drive production and scale economies, ultimately lowering SAF costs.

Matt Doyle, CEO of Wagner Sustainable Fuels, expressed optimism about the collaboration, stating, “Our partnership with LanzaTech and LanzaJet will propel the Wagner SAF Refinery forward, accelerating Australia’s SAF industry and supporting aviation decarbonization by 2050. Together, we can create Australia’s first fully integrated SAF production facility and pave the way for large-scale domestic fuel production.”