ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 7. The agreement on the development of a feasibility study for the construction of a plant for the production of environmentally friendly aviation fuel (SAF) in the Republic of Kazakhstan was signed, Trend reports.
The document was signed by representatives of KazMunayGas-Aero LLP (a subsidiary of JSC National Company KazMunayGas – KMG), the U.S.-based company LanzaJet, Inc., and Kazakhstan’s leading agro-industrial holding, KazFoodProducts LLP (KFP).
"The signing of the agreement followed a meeting in the United States in March 2025 between KMG’s Chairman of the Management Board, Askhat Khassenov, and LanzaJet’s CEO, Jimmy Samartzis, which focused on the prospects for cooperation in SAF production," the information notes.
In the course of the TEO preparation, the parties will conduct a thorough analysis of the project, including selecting the optimal region, determining production volumes, and other key factors needed for the final investment decision.
“This ambitious project brings Kazakhstan closer to achieving
carbon neutrality under the Paris Agreement and provides unique
opportunities to attract leading international airlines and cargo
companies,” the company added.
Last year, the pre-TEO phase was successfully completed. Now, the
main TEO is expected to be finalized by the end of 2025.
SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) is an environmentally friendly aviation fuel made from renewable resources and meets ASTM International standards. Global aviation leaders are actively adopting SAF: the USA aims for 50 percent SAF usage by 2050, the EU targets 2 percent starting in 2025, increasing to 63 percent by 2050, and the UK plans for 10 percent by 2030.
LanzaJet is a global leader in SAF production technology from ethanol ("alcohol-to-jet"). The company has signed long-term offtake agreements with major aviation industry giants such as All Nippon Airways, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic. The uniqueness of LanzaJet’s technology is its ability to use ethanol from a variety of sources (both biological and non-biological), reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 95 percent and significantly improving energy efficiency.
KazFoodProducts LLP (KFP) is a major Kazakhstan-based agro-holding, which includes BioOperations LLP, a company specializing in bioethanol production from wheat. KFP is also developing the Qostanay Grain Industry plant (with a processing capacity of 430,000 tons of wheat per year), which will serve as an additional source of bioethanol suitable for SAF production.