Prairie State Wire

Marquis Incorporated has issued the following press release:

CHICAGO -- In February, LanzaJet, a sustainable aviation fuel technology provider and producer, has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Marquis Sustainable Aviation Fuel (Marquis SAF) to construct a 120 million gallons per year integrated sustainable fuels plant in the U.S. using low-carbon intensity (CI) feedstocks to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel via the LanzaJet™ Alcohol-to-Jet process.  The plant will employ on-site carbon capture and sequestration and renewable energy to produce SAF, resulting in a lifecycle greenhouse gas reduction of more than 70% compared to conventional jet fuel.  

This first-of-a-kind fully integrated sustainable fuels production facility will be located in the Marquis Industrial Complex in Hennepin, Illinois, just two hours southwest of Chicago, on a 2,500-acre industrial site adjacent to the Illinois River. The facility is strategically positioned for global distribution via direct access to the Illinois River and proximity to vital pipelines to deliver sustainable fuels to Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport. The Marquis Industrial Complex also connects with a Class I railroad and multiple interstate highways. 

"We strongly believe in the importance of taking action today to enable the decarbonization of industry, and our partnership with Marquis SAF is a clear example of putting this into practice. We're able to drive deeper GHG reductions in existing biofuel production, ensure a prosperous future for producers and farmers alike, and decarbonize the aviation sector by deploying low-carbon liquid fuels where they will be needed most in the future – and importantly where they will drive the largest climate and air quality benefits when also considering non-CO2 impacts" said Jimmy Samartzis, LanzaJet CEO. "This demonstrates the opportunity for the U.S. to produce meaningful volumes of sustainable aviation fuel at scale, transitioning feedstocks from the production of traditional biofuels into sustainable aviation fuel. SAF from existing biofuel sources alone could replace more than 50% of U.S. fossil jet fuel use. The key is low carbon intensity, where existing infrastructure is paired with carbon capture and sequestration and renewable energy. Marquis is doing exactly this and makes for a great partnership with LanzaJet."

Marquis recently announced a plan for the Marquis Industrial Complex to be the world's first carbon-neutral industrial complex with on-site access to carbon injection. "The partnership we now have in place with LanzaJet allows our company to advance low-carbon solutions to address the climate crisis," said Mark Marquis, CEO of Marquis SAF. "LanzaJet's ATJ technology will be fully integrated into a new end-to-end field to sustainable fuels plant with a focus on producing sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel. In addition, we are making investments in carbon capture, corn kernel fiber technology, and utilizing Marquis' proprietary ProCap system for the production of high protein feed and renewable corn oil in this new state-of-the-art facility. This will enable us to lead the decarbonization of the transportation sector in the years to come."  

The partnership between these two Illinois headquartered companies will allow the Marquis Industrial Complex to lead in the development of sustainable fuels. The fully integrated SAF plant significantly expands the production of sustainable fuels in the U.S and places Illinois at the center of this expansion in building sustainable infrastructure that will help reduce carbon emissions. It serves as an example of the types of commercial plants and scale that can be developed across the U.S. LanzaJet recently announced its first plant in Georgia is expected to enter commercial operations in 2023. That plant will use low-CI, sustainably certified ethanol produced from waste sources and existing energy crops. Production of sustainable fuel made from low carbon intensity corn, in partnership with Marquis, is scheduled to begin engineering in 2022.

About LanzaJet, Inc.

LanzaJet, Inc. is the world’s alcohol-to-jet technology leader and producer of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Renewable Diesel (RD) from ethanol. LanzaJet’s alcohol-to-jet technology has been in development for more than a decade through a partnership initially between LanzaTech and the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL). PNNL developed a unique catalytic process to upgrade ethanol to alcohol-to-jet synthetic paraffinic kerosene (ATJ-SPK) which LanzaTech took from the laboratory to pilot scale. LanzaJet is now commercially deploying the technology globally

Launched in June 2020, LanzaJet produces SAF and renewable diesel for hard to decarbonize sectors such as transportation including aviation and maritime. With its approach to the commercialization of SAF, LanzaJet creates regional jobs while enabling global decarbonization of the aviation sector. The LanzaJet process can use any source of low CI, sustainable ethanol for fuel production.

Investors include LanzaTech, Inc.- the world’s carbon recycling leader and sponsor that spun out LanzaJet, Suncor Energy Inc. - Canada's leading integrated energy company, British Airways - the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, Shell – a global energy company, and Mitsui & Co., Ltd – a leading Japanese trading and investment company. Further information is available at www.lanzajet.com.

About Marquis Sustainable Aviation Fuel, LLC

Marquis has a long history as a family-run company spanning over 47 years and is based out of Hennepin, Illinois.  Sustainability is a passion for the Marquis team, and its mission is to be the “World’s Leading Producer of Sustainable Fuels.”  Marquis Industrial Complex is situated on the Mt. Simon geological formation, with the capacity to store over 100 million tons of Carbon Dioxide.  Marquis also intends on investing in a renewable oil plant to produce low-carbon soybean oil for the production of renewable diesel. Marquis further plans to produce blue hydrogen and blue ammonia to aid in decarbonizing agriculture and future marine transportation.  With its best-in-class logistics and global reach Marquis will lead in global decarbonization. Further information is available at www.marquisincorporated.com.