In a landmark achievement for sustainable aviation, LanzaJet, Inc. has announced the successful operation of its LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels plant in Soperton, Georgia, marking the world’s first commercial-scale production of jet fuel from ethanol.
This milestone represents a critical breakthrough, proving that ethanol can be viably transformed into a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a commercial level. The success at Soperton is the culmination of 15 years of dedicated research, development, and collaboration, offering a new, non-oil-based renewable solution that is fully compatible with existing aircraft.
“This is an important milestone for LanzaJet and our investors, and it’s a major win for global aviation – perhaps serving as a beacon of hope for the future,” said Jimmy Samartzis, Chief Executive Officer of LanzaJet. He credited the achievement to “innovation, resilience, ingenuity, and teamwork” in developing a new industry.
The breakthrough is powered by LanzaJet’s proprietary Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technology. With existing bio-oil SAF pathways facing feedstock limitations, ATJ technology unlocks the next wave of decarbonization for aviation. It leverages widely available ethanol, which can be sourced from agricultural products, waste materials, and captured carbon, making it applicable to nearly all regions globally.
This technology offers nations a powerful tool to enhance energy security, bolster agricultural economies by creating new markets for ethanol producers, and control their own sustainable fuel supply chains. The Georgia facility serves as a blueprint for global deployment, integrating first-of-its-kind technologies from partners like Technip Energies and building on research from the US Department of Energy.
LanzaJet’s ATJ technology is designed for a broad range of sustainable feedstocks, delivering significant reductions in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. The resulting fuel, once blended, is a fully certified drop-in solution. LanzaJet is now actively deploying this technology worldwide, with projects underway in the UK, Australia, Japan, India, and beyond, signaling a new era for cleaner flight.
