LanzaTech, Mibelle and Fraunhofer achieve SAF production breakthrough

Carbon management solutions company LanzaTech Global said it has expanded its technological capabilities through production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) via sustainable palm oil substitute.

“The Mibelle Group, as the original innovator behind this idea, has been instrumental in assembling the right partners and driving success, alongside the Fraunhofer Institute’s outstanding innovators who have focused on developing and scaling this solution,” said Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech.

The dual fermentation technology, pioneered by LanzaTech and Fraunhofer IGB, transforms waste CO2 gases into alcohol and further into a palm oil-like fat using non-GMO oil yeasts in a secondary fermentation process.

The companies collaborated on successful laboratory trials at Fraunhofer IGB and application tests at Mibelle laboratories. The technology partners will now work on scaling up production.

Having successfully commercialised its technology to produce ethanol for SAF via the alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) process, the team’s breakthrough expands LanzaTech’s capability for producing SAF via the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) pathway.

“This innovation is the result of our long-standing partnership with LanzaTech and a milestone for the cosmetics industry. Combined with the innovative strength of the Fraunhofer Institute, we are setting new standards for the entire industry and underlining our commitment to taking responsibility for the future of our planet while making supply chains more robust,” says Peter Müller, CEO of the Mibelle Group.

The novel route to the HEFA pathway for SAF production was developed by the company jointly with the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB and the Mibelle Group.