British Airways plans 2022 test with US sustainable-fuel maker

British Airways is partnering with LanzaJet for sustainable aviation fuel as part of the carrier’s plans to decarbonize by 2050, amid rising pressure on the aviation industry to cut emissions.

The U.S. startup will supply ethanol-derived fuel from its Freedom Pines Fuels facility in Georgia, and British Airways will use it to power some flights starting in late 2022, the companies said in a statement Tuesday. As part of the collaboration, British Airways will invest in LanzaJet and the startup will conduct early-stage planning to set up a larger biofuel facility in the U.K.

Aircraft manufacturers and airlines face growing public pressure over their emissions, which added more than 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in 2019, according to BloombergNEF. Airbus SE has said it will develop a range of hydrogen-powered aircraft that could reach the skies by 2035, and Boeing Co. has set a target of designing and certifying its jetliners to fly on 100% sustainable fuels by 2030.

British Airways and LanzaJet didn’t provide financial details of their agreement. The airline’s parent, IAG SA, has said it plans to invest $400 million in the development of sustainable aviation fuel over the next 20 years as part of a plan to achieve zero net emissions by 2050. British Airways is also developing a sustainable fuel plant in the U.K. with Velocys that could begin producing jet fuel from 2025.

LanzaJet was started last year by Illinois-based LanzaTech Inc. with investments from Canada’s Suncor Energy Inc. and Japan’s Mitsui & Co. LanzaJet plans to develop four larger scale plants to produce sustainable jet fuel as well as renewable diesel.