Air to Jet Fuel: United Announces Investment in Power-to-Liquid Fuels Company Twelve

Twelve and United Team Up for Cleaner Air Travel

United Airlines has invested in Twelve, a pioneering low-carbon fuels company that employs a process akin to photosynthesis to convert CO2 and water into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) powered by renewable energy. This investment comes from the United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund. It follows Twelve's $83 million Series C funding round and project financing for its inaugural SAF production facility, AirPlant One, in Moses Lake, Washington. The facility is anticipated to commence production this year, aiming to yield 50,000 gallons of SAF annually.

Twelve completed a SAF purchase agreement with a leading European airline last year. Under this 14-year contract, Twelve will supply 260 million gallons of SAF to support its five airlines. This significant arrangement, coupled with the opening of Twelve's first plant, emphasizes the increasing demand for the company's innovative technology and SAF.

Once its plant is operational, the SAF Twelve aims to create a lower-carbon alternative fuel that could reduce lifecycle emissions by as much as 90% when compared to conventional jet fuel.

"Scaling the SAF industry is the major hurdle air travel needs to clear in order to increase the supply and reduce the price of lower carbon fuels," said Andrew Chang, head of United Airlines Ventures.

"Twelve has differentiated themselves through the capital they have raised and the SAF contracts they have secured, providing them with the flexibility to commercialize their technology and grow their operations expediently."

"United's Sustainable Flight Fund's investment reinforces our momentum at a pivotal moment as we move from innovation to implementation," said Nicholas Flanders, co-founder & CEO of Twelve.

"With AirPlant One launching imminently and strong a collaboration with United, we're not just envisioning the decarbonization of air travel—we're actively building it. Because we have the capability to deliver our E-Jet® sustainable aviation fuel at scale, Twelve is proudly creating a realistic pathway to carbon-neutral aviation that meets both operational demands and climate goals."

Twelve's cutting-edge technology harnesses renewable energy to transform carbon extracted from the air and hydrogen sourced from water into essential components for fuels, plastics, and other materials. Utilizing renewable electricity, captured carbon, and water diminishes dependence on fossil fuels, thereby reducing lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, including those linked to fuel production and manufacturing processes.

UAV Sustainable Flight Fund

The UAV Sustainable Flight Fund is an innovative investment initiative to gather support from various industries to assist start-ups dedicated to decarbonizing air travel. It consists of over $200 million in investment pledges from United and various corporate partners, including: Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Aircastle (a Marubeni & Mizuho Leasing Company), American Express Global Business Travel, Aviation Capital Group, Boeing, Boston Consulting Group, Embraer, GE Aerospace, Google, Groupe ADP, Hawaiian Airlines, HIS, Honeywell, JetBlue Ventures, Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking, Safran Corporate Ventures, and Technip Energies, among others. Please visit the United Airlines Ventures website for further details about the fund.