Twelve has opened AirPlant One, the first US commercial-scale facility to produce e-jet fuel. Alaska Airlines and Microsoft – who offered early purchasing promises – also attended the ceremony in Moses Lake, Washington, US.
E-jet fuel is a power-to-liquid, e-sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from CO2 and renewable energy that requires no modifications to aircraft, engines or existing airport structure. In 2022, Alaska Star Ventures provided $654 million (€567.3 million) in funding, with Microsoft investing in the project through its Climate Innovation Fund and SAF offtake agreement. Now, Alaska Airlines will operate domestic flights and Microsoft will begin business travel using AirPlant One’s e-jet SAF.
Nicholas Flanders, Co-Founder and CEO of Twelve, stated: “We broke ground on AirPlant One with a simple thesis: that the fuels powering the global economy could be made from renewable electricity and air, anywhere in the world. Today, that thesis is operational and Alaska Airlines will fly on fuel made right here in Washington State. This is what American industrial electrification looks like.”
Ryan Spies, Alaska Airlines Managing Director of Sustainability, commented: “As Seattle’s hometown airline, we are committed to supporting in-state production of sustainable aviation fuel, which is currently the best technology for the airline industry to reach net-zero carbon emissions, Our partnership with Twelve and Microsoft demonstrates the power of innovation and collaboration to successfully advance SAF, while creating new jobs, diversifying fuel supply chains and strengthening energy security.”
Melanie Nakagawa, CVP and Chief Sustainability Officer, Microsoft, concluded: “Climate progress depends on collaborations that send signals to investors and innovators to move markets. Our investment in Twelve helps scale energy solutions while laying the groundwork for cleaner aviation at a global scale. We look forward to sourcing future gallons of Washington-produced SAF to help reduce our business travel emissions.”
Twelve Launches e-Jet Fuel Facility
