LanzaTech UK’s DRAGON facility has received a $31 million grant from the UK Department for Transport’s Advanced Fuels Fund Competition. The facility will be the world’s first commercial-scale factory to transform waste gases into sustainable jet fuel.
LanzaTech’s project DRAGON stands for Decarbonizing and Reimagining Aviation for the Goal Of Netzero. The proposed plant is expected to produce 102 million litres per year of ATJ Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (ATJ-SPK) to be blended with kerosene to make SAF thus making a significant contribution towards the UK Mandate for supplying 10% of total annual jet fuel demand in the U.K. with SAF by 2030.
Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech said: “We’re excited that Project DRAGON has been recognized for its potential to deliver results and create new jobs while producing the volumes of SAF greatly needed by a sector that has limited options today. I thank the UK Department for Transport for its continued support and for showing leadership in validating new technologies that can have a real impact in the UK and beyond.”
Jonathon Counsell, IAG’s Group Head of Sustainability, said: “Investing in Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) is one of the best opportunities our industry has to decarbonise. We’re delighted that Project Dragon has received crucial financial support in the UK from the Department for Transport Advanced Fuels Fund.”
Holly Boyd-Boland, VP Corporate Development at Virgin Atlantic said: “Delivering 10% SAF in 2030 requires a UK SAF industry at scale. Today’s award of the DFT’s Advanced Fuel Fund will take us a step closer to proving the technology works and attracting the private investment needed to finance these plants. Virgin Atlantic and LanzaTech have a long history of collaboration on SAF, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to produce, purchase and fly SAF from the UK.”
Jimmy Samartzis, CEO, LanzaJet said: “Project DRAGON will contribute roughly 10% of the entire UK Mandate for SAF by 2030. That’s significant, and government leadership like this is paving the way for emerging industries like SAF to achieve these ambitious and necessary goals. LanzaJet’s alcohol-to-jet technology paired with LanzaTech’s gas fermentation process is changing how we think about the circular economy across the world and driving decarbonization for aviation. We’re thrilled to be partnering with LanzaTech on this work and we’re grateful for this support from the UK Department for Transport.”
IAG has committed $865 million in SAF purchases and investments to date, including supporting the first of its kind LanzaJet ethanol-to-jet plant being built in the US. With the right policy support to incentivise further investment, the UK could see many SAF plants built over the next decade, creating 6,500 jobs and saving over three million tonnes of CO2 per year as well as improving the UK’s energy security