SAF and Ethanol Production Project to Be Launched in Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Swiss company VEMA S.A., Uzbekistan’s Navoiazot, and U.S.-based LanzaTech and LanzaJet have signed a memorandum of understanding to implement a project for the production of ethanol and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Uzbekistan.

The parties agreed to jointly develop the country’s first integrated high-tech complex that will produce both ethanol and SAF. The project is planned in two stages: at the initial phase, industrial gas emissions will be converted into ethanol, after which the resulting feedstock will be processed into aviation fuel. The expected production capacity of the facility is დაახლოებით 80,000 tonnes per year.

The initiative is aimed at supporting Uzbekistan’s course toward economic decarbonization, industrial modernization, and the development of environmentally friendly technologies. At the same time, the project reflects growing global demand for sustainable aviation fuel, which is considered one of the key tools for reducing carbon emissions in the aviation sector.

Under the agreement, LanzaTech will provide technological solutions for converting carbon-rich industrial gases into ethanol using its proprietary process. LanzaJet will be responsible for deploying Alcohol-to-Jet technology for further SAF production and will assist with product certification. Navoiazot will provide the industrial site, infrastructure, and raw material base, while VEMA S.A. will coordinate project development, financing, and certification.

The project participants noted that combining technological expertise, industrial capacity, and investment capabilities will enable the creation of a new hub for sustainable energy and aviation solutions in Uzbekistan.

Vitaliy Negoduyko, Director of the Project Office at VEMA S.A., stated that the initiative will mark an important stage in the development of low-carbon industry both domestically and internationally, and will help establish a multi-sector SAF production cluster in Central Asia.

Jim Woogerd, Managing Director for EMEA and the Americas at LanzaTech, emphasized that industrial emissions can be used as a resource rather than treated as waste, highlighting the company’s technology potential in building circular production systems.

Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet, noted that Uzbekistan has the necessary conditions to become a strategic SAF production hub in Eurasia, adding that the company will ensure output meets international aviation safety and sustainability standards.

Farrukh Samadov, Chairman of the Board of Navoiazot, stated that participation in the project opens opportunities for introducing innovative technologies and forming a new industrial base capable of delivering long-term economic impact.

Following the signing of the memorandum, the parties plan to begin preparation of a feasibility study to assess the project’s parameters, configuration, and investment requirements. The initiative is expected to become one of the largest examples of industrial decarbonization in Central Asia.