The Department of Defense (DoD) announced earlier this week that it will be providing Air Company with $65 million to continue with its R&D efforts. The technology being developed by the startup (dubbed AIRMADE™) uses carbon dioxide captured from the air as a feedstock for the production of alcohols and paraffin that are of fuel-grade quality.
The announcement follows a series of successful tests the DoD carried out back in September, 2022. 100% of the fuel in those tests was produced with Air Company’s method.
Air Company is in the early stages of building up its capacity, but the contract with the DoD is definitely a milestone. It’s another signal for CEO Gregory Constantine who things that the company will be able to scale faster with more backing from potential clients and ultimately address carbon emissions attributed to transportation.
“These contracts allow [us] to focus on the growth of technology and the development of technology,” Constantine shared with USA Today. “The core of our technology is really centered around carbon utilization.”
Relevant: Air Company Raises $30 Million In Series A Funding Round
Constantine also shared that current regulations enforce blend limits on aviation fuels but Air Company’s goal is to produce fuel that doesn’t need to be mixed. Should regulations change, then this will allow the company to produce and sell SAF that isn’t blended and will expand their addressable market.
As it stands, up to 50% of the blend for aviation fuel can made up of SAF, according to the Department of Energy.
Read more: Air Company Launches First Sustainable Aviation Fuel Made From CO2
