The UK government is awarding LanzaTech, Virgin Atlantic and partners a £410k (US$543,000) grant for partial funding of the construction of a large-scale Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) facility producing commercial quantities of fuel in the UK. (Earlier post.)

LanzaTech had submitted a bid to the UK Department for Transport (DfT) Future Fuels for Flight and Freight Competition (F4C) for partial funding of this facility.

Earlier this year, ASTM International added ethanol as an approved feedstock in ASTM D7566 Annex A5, the Standard Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuel Containing Synthesized Hydrocarbons for alcohol-to-jet synthetic paraffinic kerosene. Under the revised ASTM D7566, LanzaTech ATJ-SPK will be eligible to be used up to a 50% blend in conventional jet fuel for commercial flights.

The project includes partners from each of the required sectors, Aviation (including airline partner Virgin Atlantic, as well as Boeing, SkyNRG, Heathrow and Gatwick Airports), Steel Mill Ethanol Supply (ArcelorMittal), Technical (Air BP; World Fuel Services; Pacific Northwest national laboratory (PNNL), a US Department of Energy Laboratory), Sustainability (Ecofys, a Navigant Company; the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials and Cerulogy) and Site (Tata Steel UK and Greenergy).

Top: Lanzatech uses a proprietary microbe to ferment CO-rich gases to ethanol. Bottom: The ethanol is then taken through a four-step process of dehydration, oligomerization, hydrogenation and fractionation to produce jet-range hydrocarbons. Click to enlarge.

At Virgin Atlantic, we’ve been committed to reducing our carbon emissions for more than a decade. Along with more efficient aircraft and operational procedures, we know sustainable aviation fuels are a key next step in this journey. As LanzaTech’s long-time partner, we’re excited to be able to support building commercial capacity in the UK, and look forward to our future flights being powered by this advanced, waste based solution.

—Craig Kreeger, CEO of Virgin Atlantic

A separate Stage 2 Competition in late 2018 will provide funding for project implementation to successful award winners.