Wellington, New Zealand — Air New Zealand, in collaboration with LanzaJet and partners, has revealed the promising potential for producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from woody waste in New Zealand. Initial findings from the government-funded study indicate that New Zealand could meet up to 25% of its aviation fuel needs by converting locally sourced woody waste into SAF, creating hundreds of jobs and adding substantial economic value. However, a strong policy framework and investment in infrastructure will be essential to drive this effort forward.
Air New Zealand’s Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Kiri Hannifin, underscored the importance of establishing a local SAF market to prevent New Zealand from losing its valuable raw materials to other markets. “These initial findings support that alternative jet fuel can be produced here in Aotearoa from our own locally-grown woody waste, which is very positive for a country that currently imports 100 percent of its jet fuel,” she said.
Hannifin emphasized the urgency for a regulatory environment that would attract investment in New Zealand’s SAF industry. “New Zealand shouldn’t get left too far behind or we risk seeing the flow of capital go elsewhere or our valuable raw materials being swooped up by other markets,” she added.
LanzaJet CEO Jimmy Samartzis expressed enthusiasm about the study’s initial outcomes and highlighted the technology’s readiness. “Building a new industry requires a broad ecosystem for SAF in New Zealand, anchored in technology and supported by policy, capital, and demand,” said Samartzis. LanzaJet’s CirculAir™ production approach, which integrates LanzaTech’s carbon recycling technology with LanzaJet’s alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) conversion, allows for the transformation of gasified forestry residues into SAF. Samartzis added, “The good news is that turning woody biomass into SAF is technically possible in New Zealand, and with the right settings, is an industry that can get started fairly quickly.”
“The good news is that turning woody biomass into SAF is technically possible in New Zealand.” – Jimmy Samartzis
The next phase of the study, which will examine the feasibility of converting municipal solid waste into SAF, is set to begin soon. This additional analysis could open new avenues for using household and commercial waste as alternative SAF feedstocks, broadening the scope of New Zealand’s SAF production.
