United Airlines Partners with Houston Startup on SAF
Cemvita Corporation announced an agreement with United Airlines under which Cemvita will supply up to 1 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from their first full-scale SAF plant.
United Airlines has been actively investing in SAF producers and sustainable technologies. This year alone, United Airlines launched its UAV Sustainable Flight FundSM, a unique investment initiative that leverages support from cross-industry businesses to back start-ups focused on decarbonising air travel through SAF research, technology, and production.
"United is the global aviation leader in SAF production investment, but we face a real shortage of available fuel and producers,” said Michael Leskinen, United Airlines Ventures President. “Cemvita’s technology represents a path forward for a potentially significant supply of SAF, and we hope that this offtake agreement for up to one billion gallons is just the beginning of our collaboration."
Traditionally, commercialised SAF has been produced from used cooking oil and agricultural waste, but Cemvita's groundbreaking technology is set to revolutionise feedstock production. With minimal land, water, and electricity requirements, Cemvita's eCO2 plants offer the potential to not only provide a reliable source of feedstock but also achieve carbon-negative emissions.
Under the agreement, Cemvita is committed to supplying United Airlines with up to 50 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel annually for the next 20 years, all derived from CO2.
"Our team of passionate, pioneering, and persistent scientists and engineers is on a mission to create sustainable BioSolutions that redefine possibilities. We are thrilled to partner with United Airlines in working towards transforming the aviation industry and accelerating the energy transition," said Moji Karimi, CEO of Cemvita.
Sustainable aviation fuel is crucial to both the aviation industry and the energy transition because it enables airlines to significantly reduce their carbon emissions, making air travel more environmentally responsible and contributing to the broader shift towards a low-carbon future.
Learn more about Houston’s aviation industry and the Partnership’s Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI).
Source: Houston.org
