winner, winne
3 Houston climate tech companies win challenge for sustainable aviation
Greentown Houston companies have made the list of companies working toward sustainable aviation technology.
Cemvita and Verne, two Greentown Houston members, and C2V Initiative Year 1 participant Air Company were all named as winners of the World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Aviation Challenge, which will net the winners visibility opportunities, curated introductions to industry partners and potential funders, and other event invitations.
“We look forward to start collaborating with fellow winners and challenge partners to support the decarbonization of the aviation sector,” Cemvita writes in a statement on LinkedIn.
The Sustainable Aviation Challenge on UpLink included innovators who accelerate the adoption and development of sustainable aviation fuel and other propulsion solutions. Aviation accounts for 2 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and air travel is projected to increase over this decade according to the International Energy Agency. The challenge is to reinvent flying and make it compatible with our global net-zero emissions targets. Decarbonizing aviation is one of the goals to help with the goal of global net-zero emissions.
Cemvita’s eCO2™ helped garner the Houston company its spot in the Sustainable Aviation Challenge. The eCO2 takes waste streams and carbon dioxide and uses them to produce valuable materials like plastics,proteins, and fuel feedstock through microbiology. Cemvita also plans to remove 250 million tons per year from the atmosphere by 2050, according to their website.
Last fall, Cemvita Corp. announced a new offtake arrangement with United Airlines. Cemvita's first full-scale sustainable aviation fuel plant will provide up to 1 billion gallons of SAF to United Airlines. The 20-year contract specifies that Cemvita will supply up to 50 million gallons annually to United.
See the full list of World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Aviation Challenge winners here.