United Airlines Announces Investment in Power-to-Liquid Fuels Company Twelve
- Joe Breitfeller
- 24 hours ago
- 2 min read
United Airlines has today announced an investment in Twelve, a company offering technology that offers an industrial alternative to photosynthesis, transforming carbon and water inputs for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
On Tuesday (May 6, 2025), United Airlines announced that they have made an investment in power-to-liquid fuels company Twelve, an innovative low carbon fuels company that uses a photosynthesis-like process to transform CO2 and water into SAF using renewable energy. This investment, made by United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund, follows Twelve’s $83 million Series C funding round and project financing for their first SAF production facility, AirPlant™ One, in Moses Lake, Washington. Production is expected to commence this year, and the company plans on producing 50,000 gallons of SAF annually.
In Today’s announcement, United Airlines Ventures’ Head, Andrew Chang, said,
“Scaling the SAF industry is the major hurdle air travel needs to clear in order to increase the supply and reduce the price of lower carbon fuels. Twelve has differentiated themselves through the capital they have raised and the SAF contracts they have secured, providing them with the flexibility to commercialize their technology and grow their operations expediently.”
Also commenting in United’s investment, Twelve’s Co-Founder and CEO, Nicholas Flanders, said,
“United’s Sustainable Flight Fund's investment reinforces our momentum at a pivotal moment as we move from innovation to implementation. With AirPlant One launching imminently and strong a collaboration with United, we’re not just envisioning the decarbonization of air travel—we're actively building it. Because we have the capability to deliver our E-Jet® sustainable aviation fuel at scale, Twelve is proudly creating a realistic pathway to carbon-neutral aviation that meets both operational demands and climate goals.”
During 2024, Twelve secured a SAF purchase agreement with a large European-based airline. Under the terms of the 14-year contract, Twelve will supply 260 million gallons of SAF to five airlines. This long-term agreement, combined with the development of Twelve’s first plant, affirms demand for the company’s innovative technology and SAF. Twelve’s SAF is expected to have the potential to reduce lifecycle GHG emissions by up to 90 percent compared to conventional jet fuel.
At United Airlines, ‘Good Leads the Way.’ The airline operates the most comprehensive network among North American carriers with U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United and United Express operate over 4,000 flights per day to more than 350 airports across six continents. In 2024, United carried nearly 174 million customers, a company record. Shares in United's parent company, United Airlines Holdings, Inc., are publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol ‘UAL.’
Source: United Airlines/Cision