United Airlines has announced an investment in Twelve, a U.S.-based low-carbon fuels company developing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using captured carbon dioxide, water, and renewable electricity in a process that mimics photosynthesis.
The investment was made through the United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund and follows Twelve’s recent $83 million Series C funding round and project financing for its first production facility, AirPlant One, located in Moses Lake, Washington. The plant is expected to begin operations later this year with an initial annual output target of 50,000 gallons of SAF.
Twelve’s SAF is designed to be a lower-emission alternative to conventional jet fuel and, according to the company, may reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 90%. The technology combines carbon captured from the air with hydrogen extracted from water using renewable energy to create synthetic hydrocarbons, which can then be refined into fuels and other products.
The company has also secured a 14-year SAF supply agreement with a major European airline group. The deal involves the delivery of 260 million gallons of SAF to support operations across five airlines, highlighting growing commercial interest in alternative aviation fuels.
United’s investment comes amid broader efforts in the aviation sector to increase SAF supply and reduce its cost, as airlines seek to meet climate targets and regulatory demands. While SAF currently represents a small fraction of global jet fuel use, it is seen as a key component in decarbonising long-haul air travel.
Twelve’s technology, which remains in early stages of commercial deployment, represents one of several approaches being pursued globally to produce SAF from non-fossil sources, as the industry attempts to scale up alternative fuel infrastructure. The United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund was launched to support early-stage technologies that can contribute to lowering aviation’s climate impact.
