United Airlines Pledges $5M to Carbon-Capture Firm Svante

Published on: March 29, 2023

The airline is seeking to convert CO2 that has been extracted from the atmosphere into eco-friendly aviation fuel.

United Airlines invested $5 million in carbon capture technology company Svante, which provides materials and technology to convert CO₂ into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This investment is part of United's UAV Sustainable Flight Fund, an initiative designed to support startups focused on decarbonizing air travel through SAF research, technology, and production. Sustainable aviation fuel is an alternative to conventional jet fuel that reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with air travel.

The funds will be used to support Svante's commercial-scale filter manufacturing facility in Vancouver, Canada. Svante's second-generation solid sorbent-based carbon capture and removal technology employs structured absorbent beds, called filters, which can capture 95% of CO₂ emissions from industrial sites and from the air. Captured CO₂ can then be used in the creation of SAF or other products or stored underground.

Svante's carbon capture technology can be applied to various emission-intensive industries. Captured CO₂ can be repurposed for further industrial use in a closed loop, enabling the development of a circular carbon economy.