LanzaTech awarded significant grant by UK Government to propel SAF production

LanzaTech Global has received a grant of £6.4 million (€7.3 million) from the UK government's Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF), operated by the Department for Transport (DfT).

The grant will accelerate the development of LanzaTech’s innovative DRAGON 1 & 2 projects, each playing a crucial role in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the UK. Project DRAGON stands for Decarbonising and Reimagining Aviation for the Goal Of Net-zero.

The DRAGON 1 project is LanzaTech’s existing UK SAF project that will convert recycled carbon fuel ethanol (including ethanol from LanzaTech’s gas fermentation process) into Advanced SAF in Port Talbot, South Wales, using the LanzaJet® Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) process.

The DRAGON 2 project is a Power-to-Liquid (PtL) facility that will convert waste carbon dioxide and green hydrogen into ethanol for subsequent conversion into PtL SAF at an adjacent facility using the LanzaJet® Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) process. The location for DRAGON 2 in the UK will be determined during this grant-funded project.

"The future of aviation fuel is ethanol-to-SAF and LanzaTech is at the forefront,” said Dr Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech.
“This funding not only affirms the value of our unique technology and feedstock approach but also propels our mission to integrate air travel into a circular carbon economy. DRAGON 1 & 2 are set to drive the global SAF market forward and exemplify the UK's commitment to leading SAF innovation on the global stage.”
The UK government's significant investment in these projects underscores their confidence in LanzaTech's proven, commercial-scale technology and its potential to substantially boost the UK's SAF production.
This endorsement not only solidifies LanzaTech's reputation as a leader in advancing global clean energy initiatives but also emphasizes the crucial role of feedstock providers.
By leveraging low-cost, sustainable inputs for SAF production, LanzaTech is poised to play a key role in aiding the aviation sector's pursuit of its net-zero commitments.