Amazon is supporting this innovative solution, helping fund GranBio's work to deliver a low-cost commercial solution for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production from these wastes.
The technology makes SAF and other biobased fuels from waste materials such as leftover branches from forestry operations, crop stalks, and construction debris like discarded pallets and plywood. These materials are abundant across the United States and usually go unused, piling up in landfills or acting as kindling for wildfires.
To transform this waste, the woody biomass is broken down to unlock the carbon stored in the plant fiber. That material is then synthesized into fuel molecules, the same kind of molecule found in petroleum diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel. The process also produces a byproduct that generates heat for the facility itself, reducing external energy inputs. The end products are drop-in renewable diesel, renewable gasoline, and sustainable aviation fuel that are chemically identical to their conventional equivalents and compatible with the same engines and infrastructure, enabling lower-carbon solutions for both aviation and ground transportation, including long-haul trucking.
Scaling up and revitalizing communities
GranBio plans to scale SAF production capacity over the next decade by repurposing shuttered pulp and paper mills across the United States. By converting these dormant industrial sites into advanced biorefineries, GranBio aims to restore skilled manufacturing jobs in those regions.
“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,” said Kim Nelson, GranBio’s chief technology officer. “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.”
