LANZAJET'S PROJECT SPEEDBIRD ADVANCES IN THE UK MARKING A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE FOR ETHANOL-TO-JET
LanzaJet received a $13M award from the UK Department for Transport – the largest allocation this cycle – to support next phase of development for LanzaJet's sustainable aviation fuel project in Teesside, United Kingdom
TEESSIDE, United Kingdom, Sept. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- LanzaJet, Inc., a leading next-gen fuels technology company and producer of sustainable fuels, has been awarded more than $13 million (£10 million) from the UK Department for Transport's Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF) to accelerate development of Project Speedbird, a major sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) biorefinery in Teesside, United Kingdom being developed primarily for LanzaJet investor and SAF customer British Airways.
The award will support the next phase of work on Project Speedbird as it progresses into Front-End Engineering Design (FEED), marking a key milestone in the creation of one of the UK's first commercial-scale ethanol-to-SAF production facilities using waste-based feedstocks. Among the projects selected in this round of the AFF, Speedbird received the largest award, underscoring LanzaJet's advancement in the SAF industry, the maturity of the project, and the UK's commitment to moving beyond pilots toward industrial deployment.
Project Speedbird is set to transform the aviation sector by producing SAF from low-carbon ethanol using LanzaJet's patented and fully integrated Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technology. The LanzaJet solution incorporates Technip Energies' Hummingbird® ethanol-to-ethylene technology, which Project Speedbird has licensed, and which is deployed at commercial demonstration scale for the first time at LanzaJet's Freedom Pines Fuels facility in Georgia, USA.
Once Project Speedbird is operational, the facility is expected to produce over 30 million gallons (approximately 90 kilotons) of sustainable fuels from low-carbon ethanol each year, significantly reducing lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional fossil jet fuel.
"We've maintained a long-held belief that creating a new industry requires partnership across the public and private sectors. We're proud to collaborate with the UK Department for Transport to advance Project Speedbird as a leading project catalyzing SAF development in the UK," said Jimmy Samartzis, Chief Executive Officer at LanzaJet. "This support demonstrates confidence in LanzaJet as a leading SAF company, in our ATJ technology, and in the critical role of ethanol-to-SAF in delivering economic growth, creating jobs, and decarbonizing air travel. Project Speedbird is vital to building a national SAF industry in the UK and to unlocking opportunity and innovation in the region. We thank the UK Department for Transport for its leadership and vision in accelerating the transition to net-zero aviation."
The project aligns with the UK Government's SAF mandate, which requires 10% of jet fuel used in the UK to come from sustainable sources by 2030.
Located in the heart of Teesside, the LanzaJet plant will also deliver significant regional benefits – creating hundreds of jobs, boosting the local economy, and contributing to the region's position as a clean energy hub. By anchoring the project in Teesside, LanzaJet is helping to build out a broader ecosystem for sustainable fuels, one that connects local feedstock providers, renewable energy producers, and storage and distribution partners. In doing so, the project supports the UK's broader net-zero strategy and the Government's ambition for the country to become a global SAF leader.
With this latest milestone, LanzaJet continues to lead the scale-up of sustainable fuels globally as it combines technological innovation, operating experience, and deep partnerships to decarbonize aviation at pace.
About LanzaJet
LanzaJet is a leading alternative fuels technology provider with patented ethanol-based alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology. LanzaJet is creating an opportunity for future generations by accelerating the production and deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and other alternative fuel technologies critical to transform the global economy. Last year, LanzaJet was named a TIME100 Most Influential Company, a Rising Star Company of the Year by S&P Global, one of MIT's 15 Climate Tech Companies to Watch in 2024, and the Platts Global Energy Award winner for Rising Star Company of the Year 2024. Further information is available at https://www.lanzajet.com/.
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