Published by Todd Bush on March 29, 2024
DALLAS, March 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) announces the acquisition of SAFFiRE Renewables, LLC (SAFFiRE) as part of the investment portfolio of its wholly owned subsidiary Southwest Airlines Renewable Ventures, LLC (SARV). SARV is dedicated to creating more opportunities for Southwest® to obtain scalable sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
>> In Other News: dynaCERT Provides Update on the Purchase Order for HydraGEN™ Units Destined for Guyana
SAFFiRE is part of a project supported by the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop and produce scalable renewable ethanol that can be upgraded into SAF. SAFFiRE expects to utilize technology developed at the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to convert corn stover, a widely available agricultural residue feedstock in the U.S., into renewable ethanol.
"This acquisition marks Southwest's transition from investor to sole owner of SAFFiRE, expressing our confidence in SAFFiRE's technology and its potential to advance our sustainability goals as well as the goals of the broader industry," said Bob Jordan, President & CEO of Southwest Airlines. "Championing SAF is a key pillar of Southwest's Nonstop to Net Zero plan and our work toward a more sustainable future for air travel. We look forward to continuing our journey with SAFFiRE as part of our efforts to propel this promising technology forward."
Southwest first invested in SAFFiRE during phase one of the pilot project in 2022. With this acquisition, SAFFiRE is expected to proceed with phase two of the project by developing a pilot plant hosted at Conestoga's Arkalon Energy ethanol facility in Liberal, Kansas. Initially, this plant is intended to utilize SAFFiRE's exclusive technology license from NREL to process 10 tons of corn stover per day for the production of renewable ethanol. Then, the plan is for the ethanol to be converted into SAF by LanzaJet, Inc. (LanzaJet).
"Renewable ethanol is an important feedstock to realizing high-volume, affordable SAF, which is a critical part of the journey to net zero carbon emissions," said Tom Nealon, President of SARV and CEO of SAFFiRE. "We are enthusiastic about the ethanol-to-SAF pathway and SAFFiRE's potential ability to produce renewable ethanol at a scale that is economically viable."
The acquisition of SAFFiRE comes shortly after Southwest announced an investment in LanzaJet, a SAF technology provider and producer with a patented ethanol-to-SAF technology and the world's first ethanol-to-SAF commercial plant.
For more on Southwest's Nonstop to Net Zero plan outlining the carrier's path toward net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and a more sustainable future through carbon, circularity1, and collaboration, visit southwest.com/planet.
Follow the money flow of climate, technology, and energy investments to uncover new opportunities and jobs.
Inside the Issue 🌎 Global Leaders Converge in Edmonton September 23-25 for Carbon Capture Canada as Federal Government Expected to Boost Industrial Carbon Pricing in Fall 2025 ✈️ Delta Partners Wi...
Inside This Issue 📉 EPA Releases Proposal to End the Burdensome, Costly Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, Saving up to $2.4 Billion 📊 California to Extend Cap-and-trade Program Aimed at Advancing ...
Inside this Issue ✈️ CORSIA Transforms Aviation Compliance Into Market Gold Rush 📉 IEA Cuts 2030 Low-emissions Hydrogen Production Outlook by Nearly a Quarter 🎤 GenH2 Executive Chairman Josh McMor...
More than 5,000 attendees are expected at Canada’s national Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) convention to address industry opportunities in the sector from geopolitical advantage to ...
1PointFive and NYK Announce Carbon Removal Agreement
Second NYK transaction continues to build momentum for Direct Air Capture as a solution for the maritime sector HOUSTON, Sept. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 1PointFive, a carbon capture, utilizatio...
Led by cornerstone investors Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, with International Airlines Group (IAG), Cathay Pacific, and Japan Airlines from oneworld alliance, and Singapore Airlines as part o...
Eaton to Showcase Technologies for Hydrogen-Powered Commercial Vehicles at IAA Transportation 2024
HANOVER, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intelligent power management company Eaton announced it will showcase a broad range of innovative solutions for hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles September 17–...
Follow the money flow of climate, technology, and energy investments to uncover new opportunities and jobs.