United Airlines is investing $15 million in a carbon capture startup developing technology that may eventually be used to capture and compress CO2 for use in creating sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the company announced Wednesday.
- The scaleup, Svante, plans to use the funds to manufacture carbon capture filters in Vancouver, Canada at commercial scale.
How it works: Svante’s filters are designed to capture carbon from industrial sites or the atmosphere. It’s then compressed for potential use in SAFs, or to be sequestered underground.
Catch up quick: It’s the latest investment from United’s Sustainable Flight Fund, a multimillion dollar, cross-industry effort to support SAF startups and R&D efforts.
What they’re saying: “Instead of just buying SAF, we’re taking the money to invest in companies that are building the industry,” United CEO Scott Kirby told Joann Muller at Wednesday’s What’s Next Summit.