A new investment fund designed to address the limited availability and high cost of today’s Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) has been launched by Fort Worth-based oneworld alliance and member airlines in partnership with BIll Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV).

The fund is led by cornerstone investors Alaska Airlines and Fort Worth-based American Airlines. It seeks to accelerate the global development of long-term aviation fuel solutions that are cost effective, scalable, and have lower emissions than conventional fuels.

“By investing in the SAF technologies of the future, American and our oneworld partners are making a business decision to accelerate the development of novel technologies with the potential to reach larger scale at lower prices than current technologies can achieve,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, chairman of oneworld, said in a statement. “We believe reducing the emissions from our operation meets the demands of our customers, will make our business more competitive, and will enable us to continue to deliver the enormous economic benefits of commercial aviation for generations to come.”

Fund goals and partners

The oneworld BEV Fund will:

  • invest in novel, next-generation Sustainable Aviation Fuel technologies
  • support the growth of alternative fuel markets to meet the long-term needs of the global aviation industry
  • create economic value for investors and regions around the world
  • drive technology innovation
  • develop a diverse and resilient SAF supply chain to meet future demand

 

“Alaska Airlines is excited to work alongside oneworld carriers to invest in innovative and cost-competitive SAF technology to drive the long-term energy transformation for our industry,” Ben Minicucci, CEO of Alaska Air Group, said in a statement. “In Breakthrough Energy Ventures, we have a partner with the scientific, technical and commercial expertise to make effective investment decisions that will create the market for next-generation fuels and power our industry in the years ahead.”

BEV fund founded by Bill Gates

BEV, Breakthrough Energy Venture’s capital fund founded by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, will serve as the fund’s investment manager, bringing deep technical expertise, a rigorous diligence model, and extensive experience supporting the growth of early-stage climate technology companies. By leveraging its resources to support the energy transformation of one of the most challenging sectors for climate mitigation, BEV said it seeks to advance fuel technologies that offer the greatest potential for tackling the sector’s emissions and securing long-term commercial success.

“Investing in SAF with Breakthrough Energy Ventures is part of oneworld’s strategy to create a future of aviation that solves problems at scale and serves the needs of the greater aviation community,” said oneworld CEO Nat Pieper. “At oneworld, our member airlines are united in their long-term mission to address carbon emissions and invest in technologies that can improve speed to market of innovative fuels across the globe. By working together, we’ll be better positioned to create long-term solutions for the energy transformation of an industry that is vital to global economic growth.”

The fund is also supported by oneworld alliance member airlines International Airlines Group (IAG), Cathay Pacific, and Japan Airlines. Recognizing the power of collective action, oneworld and Breakthrough Energy Ventures said they made an early decision to welcome non-alliance investors, including Singapore Airlines, which shares the alliance’s commitment to accelerating industry-wide progress in SAF.

Industry scope and SAF challenges

According to oneworld, the global aviation industry generates some $4.1 trillion in economic activity and supports 86.5 million jobs. It currently accounts for roughly 2-3% of global carbon dioxide emissions, in addition to other environmental impacts. Oneworld said that airlines and manufacturers continue to invest in modern aircraft, engines, and operational efficiencies.

Demand for air travel is expected to rise in the coming decades, oneworld said, adding that SAF, which today can reduce lifecycle emissions of jet fuel by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel, is a crucial tool for mitigating the industry’s environmental impact.

SAF can significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions from aircraft engines and the first-generation SAF in production today has come with challenges. The SAF industry has not yet attracted the investment required to scale production at competitive prices in line with market needs and lifecycle environmental impact is a concern.

Oneworld and its partners said they are focused on supporting new technologies that can scale the availability of cost-competitive SAF, while minimizing other environmental impacts.

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