International collaboration formed to develop ethanol and SAF project in Uzbekistan

An international consortium has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop Uzbekistan’s first integrated complex for the co-production of ethanol and sustainable aviation fuel. The project will be delivered in two stages, the first converting off-gases into ethanol, to be followed by upgrading that ethanol into SAF, with an expected output of around 80,000 tons per year. LanzaTech will provide its LanzaFlex technology for the industrial waste gas conversion process with sister company LanzaJet implementing its alcohol-to-jet technology for SAF production and also supporting certification. NavoiyAzot, one of the largest chemical producers in the region, will provide the industrial site, infrastructure and feedstock base, while Swiss-based VEMA will coordinate project development, financing and certification services.

“Our company is opening the door to innovative technologies and a new industrial era in Uzbekistan,” said Farrukh Samadov, Chairman of the Board of JSC NavoiyAzot. “We are proud to become the key platform for establishing SAF production that will bring long-term positive impact to the entire country.”

The consortium says the project is aimed at supporting the country’s decarbonisation strategy, industrial modernisation and the development of clean technologies, while also responding to the rapidly growing global demand for SAF.

“We are combining international technologies with local potential to create a multi-pathway SAF cluster in Central Asia,” said VEMA’s Project Office Director, Vitalii Negoduiko.

The parties will now proceed with a study to assess the feasibility of the project, which will define the configuration and investment parameters of the project.

“Industrial emissions can be a valuable resource rather than waste,” commented Jim Woodger, Managing Director EMEA and Americas for LanzaTech. “The collaboration enables the application of LanzaTech’s technology to create circular solutions and produce ethanol from carbon-rich gases, which can then be converted into SAF. We see tremendous potential for Uzbekistan to develop innovative low-carbon industries.”

Added Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet: “Uzbekistan has all the fundamentals to become a new strategic centre for SAF production in Eurasia.”

Last September, LanzaJet signed an agreement with national oil company KMG to advance a SAF project in Kazakhstan, the first in Central Asia. Following the completion of a joint feasibility study, the partners agreed to move to the next front-end engineering and design (FEED) phase.

Photo (Airbus): Uzbekistan Airways A320neo