Building Europe’s first of its kind Alcohol-to-Jet production plant
Sustainable aviation fuel produced from waste-based ethanol resources
The FLITE consortium, led by SkyNRG and with LanzaTech as the technology provider, will build the
first-of-its-kind LanzaJetTM Alcohol to Jet (AtJ) facility. The facility will convert waste-based ethanol to
sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a scale of over 30,000 tons/yr. The project received €20 million in
grant funding from the EU H2020 programme and is a major milestone on the path to a net zero
emission for the aviation industry.
Sustainable aviation fuel is critical to reduce emissions from the aviation sector in the coming decades.
Ambitious targets are proposed as part of the European Green Deal ‘Sustainable and smart mobility’
policy and the new legislative initiative ‘EU ReFuelEU Aviation’. To meet these targets in the years to
come, it is essential that we diversify feedstock and technology options for SAF production. This precommercial AtJ production plant will pave the way to implementing SAF production across Europe and
around the globe, producing commercially relevant quantities of SAF to support future aviation’s
climate targets.
The FLITE (Fuel via Low Carbon Integrated Technology from Ethanol) project kick-off was held on
December 8th, 2020. The consortium consists of leaders from their respective industries. SkyNRG, a
global market leader for SAF solutions, is acting as the project coordinator and managing downstream
supply chain development; carbon recycling company, LanzaTech, will be responsible for plant design,
construction and operations using the LanzaJetTM AtJ technology; Fraunhofer, Europe’s largest applied
research organization, will oversee and distribute communications about the project; energy and
sustainability strategy consultancy E4tech, will conduct the life cycle assessment; and the world’s most
trusted, valued and peer-reviewed standard for the bio-based economy, the Roundtable on Sustainable
Biomaterials (RSB), will support the project through guidance on RSB certification of the facility.
Maarten van Dijk, Managing Director SkyNRG: “With the increasing demand for SAF in the future, there
is a need to diversify SAF technologies and feedstock. This first of its kind Alcohol-to Jet production in
Europe will be an important step in the direction of making sustainable aviation fuel more accessible
and scalable, supporting net zero emission ambitions for the aviation industry. SkyNRG is excited to be
a part of the FLITE project.“
Jennifer Holmgren, LanzaTech: “Bending the carbon curve requires collaboration and strong
partnerships, something the FLITE Consortium exemplifies! We look forward to implementing
LanzaJetTM Alcohol-to-Jet technology in Europe. This is an important enabler to expanding production
of sustainable aviation fuel and creating a path to a lower carbon future. We are grateful for the
Horizon 2020 funding which has made this project possible.”
Rolf Hogan, Executive Director, RSB: “This project addresses two key challenges faced by the aviation
sector today – rapid decarbonisation and doing so in a sustainable manner. It aims to scale the
production of SAF in Europe, and ensure it meets the most stringent sustainability standards. The RSB is
proud to support partners to demonstrate sustainability performance and meet regional and global
regulatory requirements of EU RED and CORSIA.”
Looking to accelerate local economic development in innovation, energy security, and job creation, the
FLITE project, will produce more than just fuel. The FLITE AtJ facility will be fully operational in 2024,
producing SAF using waste-based ethanol sourced from multiple European producers. In addition, it
will produce SAF which will result in a significant carbon emission reduction relative to fossil kerosene
and will also reduce emissions of particulates matter and sulphur. As such the SAF will be certified
through the robust standards of RSB.
For additional information and questions please contact the Project Coordinator, SkyNRG:
mediarelations@skynrg.com
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and
innovation program under grant agreement No 857839