LanzaJet, a leading company in sustainable fuels technology, has recently announced a significant investment from MUFG, a global financial powerhouse with assets totaling about $2.9 trillion. This investment represents a pivotal step for LanzaJet as it will enable the further development of their capacity and capability to implement their unique ethanol to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) process technology.
Jimmy Samartzis, the Chief Executive Officer of LanzaJet, has expressed his enthusiasm about the investment from MUFG, underscoring the significance of assembling a robust team of investors who share the company’s mission to decarbonize aviation and address climate change. The investment from MUFG will play a critical role in scaling SAF production, with the backing of one of the world’s foremost financial groups to develop infrastructure on a global scale.
MUFG’s investment forms part of LanzaJet’s ongoing $100 million growth equity funding round, which has garnered support from other global entities such as Southwest Airlines, Microsoft, and Groupe ADP. By expanding SAF production, LanzaJet is at the vanguard of the industry’s advancement, establishing the essential ecosystem to decarbonize aviation through SAF. The company’s next-generation ethanol-to-SAF technology will be commercialised, and the LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels biorefinery, the world’s first commercial-scale ethanol-to-SAF plant, is fully funded. This groundbreaking facility, located in the U.S., will produce SAF and renewable diesel from low-carbon, sustainable ethanol while achieving International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC).
Koichiro Oshima, Managing Executive Officer and Head of Financial Solutions Group at MUFG Bank, Ltd., has emphasised the company’s commitment to prioritising innovative and sustainable industry solutions. The partnership with LanzaJet demonstrates MUFG’s belief in the critical role of sustainable fuels for the economic and environmental well-being of the businesses they serve. By investing in sustainable pathways, MUFG aims to ensure the resilience and success of their stakeholders, paving the way for a more sustainable and prosperous future for all.
In addition to MUFG, LanzaJet’s impressive lineup of investors and funders includes All Nippon Airways (ANA), Breakthrough Energy, British Airways, Groupe ADP, LanzaTech, Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund, Mitsui & Co., Shell, Southwest Airlines, and Suncor Energy.
With this major investment from MUFG, LanzaJet is well-positioned to continue driving innovation in sustainable aviation fuel technology and making significant strides towards a more sustainable future for the aviation industry and the global economy.