LanzaJet & Jet Zero Australia Sign Agreement to Advance Australia’s First Ethanol to SAF Plant

(North Queensland, Australia) Sustainable fuels technology company and producer LanzaJet and Australian bioenergy company Jet Zero Australia announced today the execution of a “first-of-a-kind” Licence and Engineering Agreement for Australia that will progress the development of Project Ulysses, a North Queensland Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) project that uses LanzaJet’s Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technology to convert bioethanol into SAF and renewable diesel.

Photo of LanzaJet and Jet Zero Australia executives signing the Project Ulysses SAF license and engineering agreement courtesy of Jet Zero Australia.

Project Ulysses is LanzaJet’s first ethanol to SAF plant in Australia. The news of LanzaJet’s agreement with Jet Zero Australia comes on the heels of LanzaJet’s opening of the world’s first ethanol-to-SAF production facility in Soperton, Georgia on January 24, 2023.

Project Ulysses is intended to convert agricultural by-products sourced from sustainable origins into 102 million liters of SAF annually – the equivalent amount of SAF production which, at a maximum blend, could meet the annual jet fuel demands for Cairns and Townsville Airports, according to today’s press release from Jet Zero Australia.

SAF produced by the Project Ulysses plant will assist the Australian Government’s commitment to achieving its emissions reduction target of 43% of 2005 CO­2 levels by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050, as Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water projects the transport sector to be Australia’s largest source of emissions by 2030, according to Jet Zero Australia.

“We are extremely excited to have executed these two key agreements with LanzaJet,” said Jet Zero Chief Executive Officer Ed Mason. “Not only do they allow the project to move forward to Final Investment Decision, but more importantly they cement a long-standing relationship with a key partner to the project.”

Jet Zero Australia expects that the project will generate more than 100 skilled jobs and create ample supply chain opportunities in the North Queensland region.

Queensland’s Minister for State Development and Infrastructure, Grace Grace, said it was exciting to see the project move ahead after the Queensland Government provided $760,000 towards a project feasibility study, according to Jet Zero Australia’s press release.

“Today takes us a step closer to securing Queensland’s future as the leader of a domestic SAF industry, creating good, local jobs and new export opportunities,” Grace said.

Jimmy Samartzis, Chief Executive Officer of LanzaJet, commented: “At LanzaJet, we believe in building industry, protecting our climate, and enabling energy and national security – and our work in Australia delivers that ambition. Doing leading edge work requires partnership, and we’re proud to join Jet Zero Australia, the Queensland Government, Airbus, and Qantas to position Australia as a leader in the region on Sustainable Aviation Fuels with direct impact in significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enabling job creation, and preserving Australia’s environment for generations to come.”