The grant will accelerate the development of LanzaTech’s DRAGON 1 and 2 projects, each playing a crucial role in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the UK.
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, UK, 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 AtJ process. The location for DRAGON 2 in the UK will be determined during this grant-funded project.
Integrating LanzaTech’s gas fermentation process with LanzaJet’s AtJ technology gives this approach a distinctive edge. By turning regional waste resources into valuable SAF, LanzaTech facilitates the production of low carbon intensity (CI) fuels, contributing positively to the UK’s SAF mandate and supporting economic growth and job creation in industrial zones in the UK.
“The future of aviation fuel is ethanol-to-SAF and LanzaTech is at the forefront,” said Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech. “Our commitment to enabling cleaner jet fuel is bolstered by the UK government’s continued support and confidence in LanzaTech.”
Separately, Project Speedbird by LanzaJet, in which LanzaTech holds a 36% ownership stake, also received recognition and £10 million in funding from the AAF, further testament to the government’s trust in the Lanza technology portfolio. In 2024, LanzaTech and LanzaJet partnered to create CirculAir™, that transforms nearly any form of waste carbon (including CO2, MSW, agri residues) into SAF, combining the technologies of both companies to provide the aviation industry with a solution to produce waste-based SAF on a global scale.
LanzaTech is committed to continuing its collaborative efforts with the UK government, industry partners, and the global community to scale solutions that can transform waste carbon into an opportunity for sustainable growth.