United Airlines has become the first US carrier to invest in a biofuel refinery, significantly upping the green and climate-friendly credentials of one of the world’s biggest airlines.
United is making the move via a strategic investment in Houston, Texas-based energy company NEXT Renewable Fuels. This link-up will result in the building of a biofuel refinery in Port Westward, Oregon.
Production from the Oregon plant is expected to start in 2026, with full production equating to approximately 50,000 barrels of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), renewable diesel and other renewable fuels per day.
“Right now, one of the biggest barriers to increasing supply and lowering costs of sustainable fuel is that we don’t have the infrastructure in place to transport it efficiently, but NEXT’s strategic location and assets solve that problem and provide a blueprint for future facilities that need to be built,” said Michael Leskinen, President of United Airline Ventures.
“We believe this investment will not only bolster NEXT’s ambitions and create near-term solutions to expand our SAF supply, but further demonstrates our commitment toward producing SAF at the scale necessary to decarbonize the aviation industry,” he said.
