Cemvita Corporation and United Airlines have joined hands in an offtake arrangement to supply up to 1 billion gallons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from Cemvita’s cutting-edge full-scale SAF plant.
As per the terms of this monumental agreement, Cemvita is committed to supplying United Airlines with up to 50 million gallons of SAF, derived from CO2, each year for the next two decades.
Michael Leskinen, the President of United Airlines Ventures, expressed his optimism about the partnership. He highlighted United’s leadership in SAF production investments. “Since our initial investment last year, Cemvita has made outstanding progress. That includes opening their new pilot plant – an important step towards producing sustainable aviation fuel. United is the global aviation leader in SAF production investment. But we face a real shortage of available fuel and producers. Cemvita’s technology represents a path forward for a potentially significant supply of SAF. It’s our hope that this offtake agreement for up to one billion gallons is just the beginning of our collaboration.”
A Technological Leap in SAF Production
Currently, SAF production in the commercial sector predominantly relies on cooking oil and agricultural leftovers. However, Cemvita’s bio-technology could change that. By leveraging minimal land, water, and electricity, their approach offers a reliable feedstock production method with the potential to be carbon-negative.
In the ongoing race for sustainable energy, cost efficiency is paramount. Cemvita aims to compete economically with prevailing crop-based HEFA feedstocks. This is crucial for the broad acceptance of new biomanufacturing methodologies.
Moji Karimi, Cemvita’s CEO, emphasized the pivotal role of biology in sustainable advancements. He praised his team’s commitment to pioneering sustainable BioSolutions. “We are thrilled to partner with United Airlines in working towards transforming the aviation industry and accelerating the energy transition,” Moji said. “This agreement featuring our unique SAF platform is a major milestone towards demonstrating our journey to full commercialization.”
United’s Sustainability Drive
United Airlines stands at the forefront of sustainability initiatives in the aviation sector. Besides their recent collaboration with Cemvita, United has vigorously invested in innovative SAF producers. Technologies range from carbon capture and hydrogen-electric engines to electric regional aircraft and air taxis.
Their UAV Sustainable Flight FundSM, launched this year, epitomizes cross-industry collaboration. United Airlines Ventures aims to bolster startups dedicated to SAF research, technology, and production through this fund.
About the Companies
United is the world’s largest airline regarding available seat miles. Their commitment is to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, devoid of traditional carbon offsets. Learn more about their initiatives and opportunities at www.united.com.
Cemvita Corporation is shaping the natural resource industry’s future. By embracing sustainable extraction, carbon-negative chemical production, and waste renewal as feedstock, Cemvita offers a green yet economical choice. Founded in 2017, the company is headquartered in Houston, TX. For more details about Cemvita’s pioneering SAF efforts, visit www.cemvita.com.