U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Secretary Turk joins U.S. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, other government officials, and industry leaders for first-of-its-kind SAF facility ribbon-cutting.
During a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Soperton, Georgia today, LanzaJet unveiled the Freedom Pines Fuels facility, the world’s first ethanol-based alcohol-to-jet sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) commercial production plant. With the completion of this facility, LanzaTech, its subsidiary LanzaJet, Inc., and their partners, will optimize the process for producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and reduce the cost of producing jet fuel renewable ethanol.
The facility, which has been supported by DOE’s Bioenergy Technology Office (BETO) since 2016, will produce nine million gallons of SAF and one million gallons of renewable diesel in its first year of operations. In addition to the decarbonization benefits provided by SAF, the facility is expected to provide the local economy with an estimated $5 million in new wages and benefits, $70 million in annual economic activity, and an estimated 80 new jobs.
“The completion of this facility highlights how the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach is helping build a cleaner, healthier, and safer future through American workers and homegrown clean energy solutions,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David M. Turk. “This is a huge win for Georgia’s economy and a testament to the importance of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda in driving new economic opportunities to communities across the country and reinforcing our nation’s industrial might.”
The opening of the Freedom Pines Fuel facility is a major milestone in meeting the DOE Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge, which was launched in 2021 by DOE, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and industry partners, to create a comprehensive strategy for scaling up new technologies to produce SAF on a commercial scale. The SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap Report, which outlines actions to expand SAF supply, reduce SAF costs, and enhance its sustainability, identifies the critical need for facilities such as the one launched today as essential to meeting SAF goals.
BETO supports technology research, development, and demonstration to accelerate greenhouse gas emissions reductions through the cost-effective and sustainable use of biomass and waste feedstocks across the U.S. economy. BETO is part of DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy.
LanzaJet is a leading sustainable fuels technology company dedicated to accelerating the energy transition by embracing the circular economy. As a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) technology provider and producer with patented alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology, LanzaJet is creating an opportunity for future generations by accelerating the deployment of SAF and other clean technologies critical to addressing the climate crisis and transforming the global economy.
Originally shared by the U.S. Department of Energy, January 24, 2024.