United Airlines invests in eSAF developer Twelve

Chicago-based United Airlines announced an investment in low carbon fuels company Twelve to transform CO2 and water into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using renewable energy.

This investment by the United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund follows Twelve’s $83m Series C funding round and project financing for its first SAF production facility, AirPlant One, located in Moses Lake, Washington.

The facility is expected to begin production this year and plans to produce 50,000 gallons of SAF annually.

Last year, Twelve secured a SAF purchase agreement with a large European-based airline company. Under the 14-year contract, Twelve will supply 260m gallons of SAF to support its five airlines.

“Scaling the SAF industry is the major hurdle air travel needs to clear in order to increase the supply and reduce the price of lower carbon fuels,” said Andrew Chang, head of United Airlines Ventures. “Twelve has differentiated themselves through the capital they have raised and the SAF contracts they have secured, providing them with the flexibility to commercialize their technology and grow their operations expediently.”

“United’s Sustainable Flight Fund’s investment reinforces our momentum at a pivotal moment as we move from innovation to implementation,” said Nicholas Flanders, co-founder & CEO of Twelve.

Twelve’s advanced technology uses renewable energy to combine carbon captured from air and hydrogen obtained from water into the basic building blocks that make fuels, plastics and other materials.

By using renewable electricity, captured carbon and water, the process reduces the reliance on fossil fuels, lowering lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, including the emissions associated with production of fuels and in manufacturing.