US-based LanzaJet on December 13 started building a US government-backed factory to produce ethanol-based aviation fuel for airlines including the International Airlines Group (IAG) stable.
LanzaJet said the factory is to be built in Soperton, Georgia and will be the world's first to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) derived from ethanol when it is ready in 2023.
LanzaJet said the factory's 10 million gallons of SAF and biodiesel would "approximately double" SAF output in the US.
IAG chief executive Luis Gallego welcomed the announcement, saying the group's airlines would buy 7,500 of fuel from the factory each year as part of a commitment of US $865 million in spending on SAFs.