The first commercial production plant that converts ethanol into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has opened its doors in the U.S. Located near Savannah, Georgia, LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels is a 10-million-gallon facility that sources low-carbon ethanol to produce SAF and renewable diesel. Iowa Renewable Fuels Association director Monte Shaw attended the grand opening. Shaw says SAF is here and now.

However, Iowa corn-based ethanol does not meet the low carbon-intensity (CI) score required for use in SAF production. Shaw says the score needs to be drastically lowered so Iowa can compete in the new market. One way to do that is by sequestering CO2 from ethanol plants and using it for industrial use, says Shaw. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also attended the opening and said the USDA and Biden administration are committed to supporting the full potential of the fuel.

Read more on the nation’s first SAF plant here.