Microsoft invests in LanzaJet, a clean energy startup working on sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel

Microsoft today announced that it made a $50M investment in LanzaJet, a clean energy startup working on sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel. LanzaJet secured this funding through the Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund and it will be using the fund to construct its first alcohol-to-jet sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production plant. This investment will allow Microsoft to access sustainable, renewable diesel for its data centers to enable Microsoft to further achieve its net-zero goals.

The LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels plant is expected to achieve mechanical completion this year and begin producing 10 million gallons of SAF and renewable diesel per year from sustainable ethanol, including from waste-based feedstocks, in 2023.

“We know that creating the change which our world desperately needs requires perseverance, innovation, and like-minded partnerships. We are thrilled to bring on Microsoft and its Climate Innovation Fund to help us build our first-of-its-kind sustainable fuels plant in Georgia. The partnership with Microsoft is more than just financing – it advances our work towards net zero fuels, it enables lower-cost sustainable fuels into the market, and it supports the urgency to have real, proven technologies scale-up and deploy,” said Jimmy Samartzis, LanzaJet CEO.

“We set a bold ambition to support the White House with a goal of 1 billion gallons of sustainable fuels by 2030. With Microsoft’s support, this first plant significantly expands the production of sustainable fuels in the US, establishes Georgia as a leader in clean tech, and is the foundation for us as the first alcohol-to-jet sustainable fuels producer, and as a blueprint for the commercial plants we’re developing globally,” Jimmy added.

“With this investment, we support LanzaJet in creating new pathways to help companies across industries achieve net-zero carbon through the use of sustainable fuels. Decarbonizing hard to abate industries and technologies will be essential to achieving our carbon reduction goals by 2030. We look forward to working with LanzaJet to accelerate the global development and deployment of high-quality, sustainable fuels technologies,” said Brandon Middaugh of Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund.

Source: LanzaJet