LanzaJet, a sustainable aviation fuel technology provider and producer, has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Marquis Sustainable Aviation Fuel (Marquis SAF) to construct a 120 million gallons per year (mgpy) integrated sustainable fuels plant in the US using low-carbon intensity (CI) feedstocks to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel via the LanzaJet Alcohol-to-Jet process.

The plant will employ on-site carbon capture and sequestration and renewable energy to produce SAF, resulting in a lifecycle greenhouse gas reduction of more than 70% compared to conventional jet fuel.

This first-of-a-kind fully integrated sustainable fuels production facility will be located in the Marquis Industrial Complex in Hennepin, Illinois, just two hours southwest of Chicago, on a 2,500-acre industrial site adjacent to the Illinois River. The facility is strategically positioned for global distribution via direct access to the Illinois River and proximity to vital pipelines to deliver sustainable fuels to Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport. The Marquis Industrial Complex also connects with a Class I railroad and multiple interstate highways.

Marquis recently announced a plan for the Marquis Industrial Complex to be the world’s first carbon-neutral industrial complex with on-site access to carbon injection.

The partnership we now have in place with LanzaJet allows our company to advance low-carbon solutions to address the climate crisis. LanzaJet’s ATJ technology will be fully integrated into our sustainable fuels plant with a focus on producing sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel. In addition, we are making investments in carbon capture, corn kernel fiber technology, and utilizing Marquis’ proprietary ProCap system for the production of high protein feed and renewable corn oil in this new state-of-the-art facility. This will enable us to lead the decarbonization of the transportation sector in the years to come.

—Mark Marquis, CEO of Marquis SAF

The fully integrated SAF plant significantly expands the production of sustainable fuels in the US. LanzaJet recently announced its first plant in Georgia is expected to enter commercial operations in 2023. That plant will use low-CI, sustainably certified ethanol produced from waste sources and existing energy crops. Production of sustainable fuel made from low carbon intensity corn, in partnership with Marquis, is scheduled to begin engineering in 2022.