Amazon Invests in Sustainable Aviation Fuel Producer GranBio

Amazon announced a new investment in biofuels-focused biotechnology company GranBio, aimed at accelerating the development and commercialization its technology that converts forestry residues and construction waste into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

According to Amazon, the investment forms part of its work to develop and test emerging technologies with the potential to reduce carbon emissions across its global operations, including transportation, buildings, and packaging.

Andreas Marschner, Amazon’s Vice President of Worldwide Operations Sustainability, said:

“Aviation needs lower-carbon fuel, and the supply doesn’t exist at scale yet. GranBio’s technology has the potential to change that, turning abundant waste materials into drop-in fuels. By investing now, we’re helping demonstrate the demand for solutions that, if they succeed, can become available to the whole industry.”

Founded in 2011, GranBio develops technologies that transform biomass waste into renewable fuels and biobased products. The company’s feedstocks include forestry residues such as branches and treetops left behind after logging operations, agricultural waste, and construction debris including discarded pallets and plywood.

According to the company, discarded wood from logging operations and building sites has gone to waste for decades. The company’s solution breaks down woody biomass to access the carbon stored in plant fibers, which is then converted into fuel molecules chemically identical to those found in conventional diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel. The process also generates a byproduct used to produce heat for the facility, reducing external energy requirements.

The resulting fuels—including renewable diesel, renewable gasoline, and SAF—are fully compatible with existing engines and infrastructure, enabling lower-carbon solutions for aviation and ground transportation, including long-haul trucking.

GranBio said that it plans to expand SAF production capacity over the next decade by repurposing shuttered pulp and paper mills across the U.S. into advanced biorefineries.

Kim Nelson, GranBio’s chief technology officer, said:

“Working with Amazon on this project brings us closer to proving that sustainable aviation fuel made from forest and construction waste can be a real, scalable solution for decarbonizing aviation. Our technology takes materials that would otherwise go unused and transforms them into clean energy, while creating opportunities to revitalize rural communities and improve the health of America’s forests.”