Southwest
Airlines is backing up its investment in sustainability.
The
Dallas-based carrier has purchased SAFFiRE
Renewables, LLC as part of the investment portfolio of its wholly-owned
subsidiary Southwest Airlines Renewable Ventures, LLC, or SARV.
It is yet another move by the airline to further establish its
own sustainable fuel program.
Sustainable air fuel, or SAF, has been the focus of most major
airlines going forward, and several have set a target date of 2050 to have all
sustainable fuel.
That includes Southwest Airlines, which hopes to have net zero
emissions by then.
“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.
"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.”
Southwest is the nation’s fourth-largest airline. It is
generally considered among the leaders in aviation in attempting to make the
transition to sustainable air fuel.
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