Project Atlas, Infinium Energy's planned eSAF facility rated at 100,000 metric tons of synthetic aviation fuel a year, has secured long-term offtake from the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) in a procurement round backed by American Airlines as physical-fuel handler.

The agreement covers purchase commitments from SABA's corporate membership, including AVEVA, Bain & Company, Google and McKinsey. It represents the first procurement under SABA's updated model, which targets projects approaching final investment decision rather than already operating plants. SABA said contracted volumes equate to greenhouse-gas abatement of more than 212,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent — comparable to the emissions of more than 3,500 commercial flights between JFK and LAX.

What does Infinium's Project Atlas involve?

Infinium, a US-based e-fuels developer, designs Project Atlas to produce ultra-low-carbon eSAF using captured CO2 and renewable electricity as feedstock. The output is a drop-in fuel compatible with existing aircraft and airport infrastructure. American Airlines will receive the physical fuel and allocate the associated Scope 3 emission reductions back to SABA member companies under a book-and-claim arrangement, allowing corporates to claim environmental benefits without fueling their own aircraft from the batch.

Why is next-generation SAF the focus?

Conventional SAF — made largely from waste oils and fats — currently dominates a market that remains undersupplied and trades at a premium to Jet A. Aviation accounts for 2-3% of global greenhouse-gas emissions, and Scope 3 corporate-travel accounting has tightened pressure on supply chains for credible decarbonization credits. Power-to-liquid eSAF promises deeper lifecycle cuts but requires capital-intensive plants that lenders have been reluctant to fund without bankable purchase agreements.

"The companies purchasing SAF certificates through this agreement are demonstrating the leadership needed to help scale a critical solution for aviation," said Jill Blickstein, American's Chief Sustainability Officer.

Who else is on the demand side?

SABA reports aggregating more than US$500 million in cumulative SAF certificate demand from over 35 corporate members since launch. The Atlas round adds new long-term structured contracts to that pool.

"We're proud to partner with SABA members including AVEVA, Bain & Company, Google, McKinsey, and others, as well as American Airlines to bring Infinium Energy's next world-scale eSAF facility to life," said Infinium CEO Robert Schuetzle.

McKinsey's Global Director of Environmental Sustainability Isabelle Schuhmann framed the deal in operational terms: "By supporting next-generation sustainable aviation fuel, this purchase helps advance a promising solution for decarbonising aviation at scale, while enabling the travel that is essential to serving our clients."

What still has to happen?

Project Atlas must clear a final investment decision before construction. SABA's procurement model is built to bridge the financing gap that has stalled several announced eSAF plants.

"Long-term, bankable offtake is often the missing puzzle piece that keeps new SAF plants from getting financed and built," said Kim Carnahan, GMA CEO and head of the SABA secretariat.

External validation came from Environmental Defense Fund president Fred Krupp: "Deals like this one prove that high-integrity e-SAF is investable today, not just in theory. The next test is turning early demand signals like SABA's into the long-term policy and financing conditions that will enable e-SAF suppliers to scale beyond a single project."

SABA said plans for its next procurement round are already in motion, offering future volumes to member companies seeking SAF certificates to apply against their climate targets.