(TAN): United Airlines has announced its USD 15 million investment in carbon capture technology company Svante, which provides materials and technology as part of the value chain that has the potential to convert CO2 removed from the atmosphere and from industrial emission sources into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the airline said in a news release.
This is the latest announced investment from the new UAV Sustainable Flight FundSM, which is designed to leverage support from cross-industry businesses in order to support start-ups focused on decarbonizing air travel through SAF research, technology and production. The airline said it aims to be 100% green by reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 100% by 2050, without relying on traditional carbon offsets.
[ALSO READ: Emirates, United Airlines start codeshare partnership]
“Carbon capture technology has the potential to be a critical solution in the fight to stop climate change and has the added benefit of helping us scale the production of SAF,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. “And at United we’re building on that approach by investing in both companies that can capture CO2 and others that can turn it into fuel. There’s no question that this carbon utilization is in its infancy today, but as a leader in sustainable flying we must help build the foundation to deploy this technology of the future as expediently as possible. This is truly a global imperative, and United’s investment in Svante reflects our dedication to making sustainable travel a reality.”
“We are pleased to have the support of United Airlines as one of our world-class investors,” said Claude Letourneau, president and CEO of Svante. “The airline industry has a huge opportunity to make a big impact on global decarbonization — battling climate change through the transition to sustainable aviation fuels and other innovative technologies that will help the world achieve net zero. Their investment in companies like ours will aid in accelerating the commercialization of carbon capture and removal technology.”
[ALSO READ: Chef Nobu’s food set to return to Crystal cruises]
Svante is a leader in second-generation solid sorbent-based carbon capture and removal, the news release said. The company’s scalable, eco-friendly, and commercially available carbon capture and removal technology employs structured absorbent beds, known as filters. These filters can capture 95% of CO2 emissions from industrial sites as well as CO2 that’s already in the air. Once the CO2 is captured, it is concentrated and can be used in the creation of SAF or other products. It can also be safely transported and stored underground.
Related posts:
Biggest sustainable fuel agreement in aviation history: United, Honeywell invest in new cleantech venture from Alder Fuels
United promises to triple SAF use in 2023
JAL operates commercial flight from Tokyo to Fukuoka using sustainable aviation fuel
United to partner with Archer Aviation to speed up production of short-haul electric aircraft
