United Airlines announced it has invested in low carbon fuels company Twelve.
The firm uses a process similar to photosynthesis to transform CO2 and water into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
This investment by United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund follows Twelve’s $83 million 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 airline company.
Under the 14-year contract, Twelve will supply 260 million gallons of SAF to support five airline brands.
The sustainable aviation fuel Twelve plans to produce once its plant becomes operational, is expected to be a lower-carbon alternative fuel with the potential to reduce lifecycle emissions by up to 90%.
“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.
“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 technology uses renewable energy to combine carbon captured from air and hydrogen obtained from water into the building blocks that make fuels, plastics and other materials.
