In Kansas, Conestoga Energy announced the acquisition of SAFFiRE Renewables, a process technology company that enables production of ultra-low carbon intensity ethanol and intermediates, from Southwest Airlines Renewable Ventures.
The acquisition includes all intellectual property, certain related technologies, the proposed pilot production facility, as well as key leadership team members, enabling Conestoga to further capitalize on the growing demand for reliable renewable fuels, including but not limited to sustainable aviation fuel. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
With this acquisition, Conestoga will leverage SAFFiRE’s exclusive license to Deacetylation and Mechanical Refining (DMR) pretreatment technology developed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) to convert corn stover, a widely available agricultural by-product in the U.S., into ethanol with a carbon intensity (CI) score less than negative 100.
SAFFiRE’s pilot production facility will be co-located at Conestoga’s Arkalon Energy plant in Liberal, Kansas, and is expected to be operational in 2026.
“Sustainable aviation fuel represents a multi-billion-dollar market opportunity, and this acquisition positions Conestoga at the leading edge of efforts to bridge the critical supply-demand gap facing the aviation industry while creating transformative opportunities for American agriculture,” said Tom Willis, CEO of Conestoga Energy.
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