The $65 million deal for testing production comes after Air Company CEO Gregory Constantine told Axios action was taken following a successful jet test flight last year than ran solely on unblended sustainable aviation fuel.
The contract will allow Air Company to test whether it can make that fuel in remote locations and it includes certain milestones related to the number of gallons Air Company will produce.
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Synthetic jet fuel made from captured carbon dioxide is poured into a small, unmanned jet at Hsu STEM Range in Laurel Hill, Florida, July 27, 2022. (U.S. Air Force)
Air Company makes the sustainable aviation fuel from carbon dioxide pulled out of the atmosphere. The startup also turns carbon into perfume and hand sanitizer.
"The contract is tiered out over the next several years," a spokesperson told TechCrunch, noting that Air Company aims to work with the Air Force to produce "tens of hundreds of gallons," and later "tens of thousands of gallons," of jet fuel.
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The company told the website that it exclusively uses renewable electricity to produce its fuel, which the Air Force Research Laboratory said was "net carbon neutral" in a November release.
An unmanned aircraft takes flight for the first time powered by 100% synthetic jet fuel from captured carbon dioxide, at Hsu STEM Range in Laurel Hill, Florida, July 27, 2022. (U.S. Air Force)
The Air Force’s Project Fierce previously partnered with the laboratory, Air Company and the Hsu Education Foundation to create and test a fully synthetic "drop-in" replacement jet fuel from captured carbon dioxide and water. The unmanned flight test team at the Hsu Educational Foundation executed the first flight demonstration with the synthetic jet fuel.
The Air Force has used sustainable aviation fuels – that require blending with traditional fossil fuels – since 2008.