Cemvita Corporation, a producer of biofuels, announced an agreement with United Airlines for up to 1 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Cemvita’s first full-scale SAF plant. Under the agreement, Cemvita will supply United Airlines with up to 50 million gallons annually for 20 years of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) made from CO2.
Michael Leskinen, president of United Airlines Ventures, said United is the global aviation leader in SAF production investment, but faced a real shortage of available fuel and producers. Cemvita’s technology, he said, “represents a path forward for a potentially significant supply of SAF, and it’s our hope that this offtake agreement for up to one billion gallons is just the beginning of our collaboration.”

Commercialized SAF is currently made from used cooking oil and agricultural waste. Cemvita’s technology, according to the announcement, has the potential to provide more reliable feedstock production with minimal land, water and electricity needs.

Moji Karimi, CEO of Cemvita, said the agreement “is a major milestone towards demonstrating our journey to full commercialization.”

This year, United launched its UAV Sustainable Flight Fund, a first-of-its-kind investment vehicle that is designed to leverage support from cross-industry businesses to support start-ups focused on decarbonizing air travel through SAF research, technology and production. Cemvita was announced as part of the fund’s inaugural group of portfolio companies.