Georgia gets two grants to pursue cleaner aviation fuel

ATLANTA – The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded two grants to help accelerate the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Georgia.

LanzaJet, a SAF producer, will receive nearly $3.1 million to support its new production facility in Soperton, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., announced Tuesday.

Another $240,000 will go to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to strengthen the regional supply chains and infrastructure needed to deploy SAF at the world’s busiest airport.

SAF is a biofuel that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to 85% compared with conventional petroleum-based jet fuel. It was described during a state Senate study committee meeting last week as a new market for Georgia’s timber industry, which is being buffeted by declining prices brought on by the closing of pulp and paper mills.

“Georgia should lead the nation in clean energy and renewable energy technology,” Ossoff said. “LanzaJet and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are a key part of that effort.”

“SAF is the best opportunity aviation has to decarbonize,” LanzaJet CEO Jimmy Samartzis added. “Funding like this will be instrumental in achieving aviation’s net zero targets while also supporting domestic energy security and economic development by investing in rural communities across the country.”

Europe is leading the way in deploying sustainable aviation fuel. The European Union will require commercial aircraft to burn at least 6% SAF by 2030, a percentage that will increase gradually each year until it reaches 70% in 2050.