LanzaJet Secures at Least $20 Million in Committed Financing to Scale SAF Production at Freedom Pines Fuels
Why It MattersFresh shareholder-backed capital for the first commercial-scale alcohol-to-jet plant shows that scaling SAF supply still depends on investors recapitalizing producers, not on the technology alone.
LanzaJet, Inc. announced on October 15, 2026 fully committed new financing of at least $20 million to support its next phase of growth and operations at Freedom Pines Fuels in Soperton, Georgia. The first close occurred on October 14, and the financing is expected to close in full by December 2026. It is supported by LanzaTech Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNZA), Vinod Khosla and the LanzaJet Board, as part of a broader recapitalization and deleveraging of LanzaJet by its shareholders and existing investors. As part of the transactions, LanzaTech will significantly increase its ownership of LanzaJet.
Freedom Pines Fuels is described as the world's first commercial-scale alcohol-to-jet production facility, with a capacity of 10 million gallons per year. It has already produced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel that meet ASTM specifications, and the new capital is intended to help it scale production and deliver SAF to global customers. LanzaJet's technology converts ethanol from a range of sources into SAF, including established supply from markets such as Brazil and the United States, regionally available feedstocks, and waste-carbon resources that LanzaTech's gas fermentation platform can convert into ethanol. That lets projects use the most competitive ethanol in each market and access qualifying low-carbon and waste-based feedstocks for mandated markets, including the UK and European Union.
Jennifer Holmgren, Chief Executive Officer of LanzaTech, will continue as Chair of the LanzaJet Board and will serve as interim CEO of LanzaJet. LanzaTech began developing alcohol-to-jet technology in 2012 in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Since 2020, LanzaJet has been backed by investors and funders including Airbus, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Breakthrough Energy, British Airways and International Airlines Group, Groupe ADP, LanzaTech, Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund, Mitsui & Co., MUFG, Shell and Southwest Airlines.
