United States-based LanzaJet and Kazakhstan’s national energy company Kazmunaygas, also referred to as KMG, will move forward with the country’s first sustainable aviation fuel project after completing a joint feasibility study, the companies said Monday.
The deal was signed during New York Climate Week. LanzaJet Chief Executive Jimmy Samartzis spoke at an event attended by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and met with KMG Chairman and CEO Askhat Khasenov.
The project now enters the front-end engineering and design stage, a phase that will finalize technical and financial plans for the plant. Once operational, the facility will supply SAF, a fuel critical for decarbonizing air travel.
Kazakhstan Eyes Energy Transition
“Kazakhstan is the type of market that creates incredible potential across industries – agriculture, logistics, oil and gas, and aviation,” Samartzis said in a statement. He noted that the partnership would cut aviation emissions, strengthen energy security and create new economic opportunities.
Khasenov said the venture fits Kazakhstan’s low-carbon development goals. “The project will positively impact the biofuels market, improve aviation’s environmental performance and enhance the country’s transit potential,” he said.
SAF Demand Rising
The FEED stage begins immediately. Kazakhstan’s need for SAF is forecast to hit 70,000 tonnes a year by 2030. The planned facility aims to meet that demand and support a regional biofuels market.
The project will use LanzaJet’s patented alcohol-to-jet technology. This process converts ethanol into drop-in, certified SAF. It is designed to scale quickly and provide a near-term option for a sector that has struggled to cut emissions.
Award-Winning Technology
LanzaJet’s work has gained international recognition. In June, the firm won the Accelerating Decarbonization award at the Reuters Global Energy Transition Awards in New York.
“We’re honored to receive this recognition from Reuters, which highlights the role innovation must play in solving the toughest climate challenges,” Samartzis said then. “Aviation needs real, scalable solutions today, not decades from now. Our ATJ technology was designed to meet that moment.”
Expanding Global Footprint
The Georgia site is the world’s first commercial ethanol-to-SAF demonstration plant. LanzaJet is also deploying its technology with partners in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Supported by investors such as Airbus, Microsoft, Shell, and British Airways, the company has become one of the sector’s fastest-growing technology providers. Last year it was named one of MIT’s 15 Climate Tech Companies to Watch and received honors at the Platts Global Energy Awards.
By combining its technology with Kazakhstan’s energy ambitions, LanzaJet and KMG aim to place the country at the center of the regional SAF market. The project highlights how partnerships can drive aviation decarbonization while also advancing broader energy transition goals.
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