Infinium Secures $75 Million from Breakthrough Energy and Offtake Commitment from American Airlines for Texas SAF Project
Project Roadrunner is the first-of-its-kind commercial-scale Power-to-Liquids eFuels facility, and is expected to be the largest in North America.
(West Texas, U.S.) U.S. electrofuels provider Infinium has secured $75 million in financing from Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Catalyst and has attracted American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) as an offtaker for the company’s planned facility for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other low-carbon fuels production in Texas.
Photo courtesy of Breakthrough Energy Catalyst.
Infinium’s Project Roadrunner is the first-of-its-kind commercial-scale Power-to-Liquids eFuels facility, and is expected to be the largest in North America, according to a press release from Breakthrough Energy. Specifically, the project will convert waste carbon dioxide (CO2) and renewable power into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other low-carbon fuels. It will primarily produce Infinium eSAF, a sustainable aviation fuel with the potential to significantly reduce the lifecycle GHG emissions associated with air travel by around 90 percent, according to Breakthrough.
Breakthrough’s commitment, which is subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions, represents its first project equity investment to date.
Breakthrough Energy Catalyst partner Citi has agreed with American Airlines to be the recipient of transfers of emission reductions associated with American’s offtake from Project Roadrunner in order to support the scaling of the project and help reduce a portion of Citi’s Scope 3 emissions from employee travel.
“The aviation industry accounts for approximately 2–3% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) annually and faces unique challenges when it comes to reducing emissions,” read a press release from Breakthrough. “Sustainable aviation fuels offer a critical tool to decarbonize aviation with existing aircraft currently in use around the world. “
“The investment from Catalyst is critical to accelerating the completion of Project Roadrunner and to the delivery of significant volumes of eFuels created from waste carbon dioxide and renewable power,” said Infinium’s Chief Executive Officer Robert Schuetzle. “Importantly, this project will serve as a template for other, larger eFuels plants under development.”
