MUFG Bank invests in sustainable aviation fuel company

LanzaJet is reportedly planning to build SAF manufacturing plants in Japan.

Japan’s MUFG Bank has invested in LanzaJet, a US-based company that licenses alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology.

AJT technology converts ethanol into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) through a catalytic process. LanzaJet licenses its proprietary ATJ.

MUFG Bank’s investment aims to support the scale-up of SAF production plants using LanzaJet’s technology and the expansion of related technology licenses. 

The Japanese megabank says that its investment is part of the MUFG Bank’s efforts to expand its business and build a SAF value chain.

LanzaJet is reportedly planning to construct SAF manufacturing plants using its proprietary ATJ technology in Japan. This will help the Japanese government’s goal of replacing 10% of aviation fuel consumption with SAF by 2030.

LanzaJet is currently building an ATJ tech plant in Soperton, Georgia, USA. 

This is not MUFG Bank’s first-time doing business related to SAF. In May 2023, the bank arranged a green loan for Japan’s first SAF manufacturing plant, located in Tahara City, Aichi Prefecture.

In March 2024, MUFG Bank began supplying used cooking oil from its employee cafeteria as raw material for SAF production.

MUFG Bank has recently been investing in several companies across the globe. Most recently, the Japanese megabank participated in a $195m investing round for Ascend Money.