Puntos Clave
• United Airlines Ventures invierte en Twelve, que produce Combustible de Aviación Sostenible reduciendo emisiones hasta un 90%.
• AirPlant One en Washington fabricará 50,000 galones de SAF al año con CO₂ y energía renovable.
• Twelve firmó un contrato de 14 años y 260 millones de galones con IAG, mostrando confianza del sector aeronáutico.
United Airlines Ventures has made a big move by investing in Twelve, a company based in California that is working on making a new kind of aviation fuel. This new fuel, called Combustible de Aviación Sostenible or SAF, is not made from oil like traditional jet fuel. Instead, it comes from carbon dioxide (CO₂), water, and electricity from renewable sources like solar and wind. This partnership marks an important change for the future of flying. The idea is to help airlines reduce air pollution and make air travel cleaner for everyone.
Un nuevo tipo de combustible: ¿Cómo funciona la tecnología de Twelve?
Twelve’s approach is different from what we see in most fuels today. The company uses a technology called OPUS, which is a special machine (called an electrochemical reactor). This machine takes carbon dioxide, which is a gas that pollutes the air, and water, and then uses electricity from clean sources to turn them into things called hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are the main building blocks for jet fuel and many other products. In simple words, they take pollution and water and make something useful for airplanes.
This process is similar to how plants work. Plants use sunlight, water, and air to grow. Twelve does almost the same, but instead of sunlight, it uses electricity inside a factory. By copying what happens in nature, but at a much larger and faster scale, Twelve’s technology can help airlines get the fuel they need without harming the environment as much.
What is truly special is that Combustible de Aviación Sostenible made by Twelve can lower carbon emissions by up to 90% compared to normal jet fuel. This means that flights using this fuel will produce only a fraction of the air pollution caused by traditional fuels. The fuel made this way is called E-Jet®. Unlike some alternatives, this new fuel can be used in today’s planes and airports without needing any changes.
Proyectos y crecimiento comercial: El caso de AirPlant One
For Twelve to make a real difference, it needs to produce large amounts of fuel, not just a few test batches. That’s why the company is opening its first big production facility, called AirPlant One, in Moses Lake, Washington 🇺🇸. This plant will start making about 50,000 gallons of SAF per year very soon. While this number might sound small compared to traditional oil refineries, it is just the beginning. This first plant is meant to prove that the process works outside of a laboratory and to show it can be repeated at a much larger scale.
The real sign that Twelve is onto something important is the number of large contracts it has already signed. One of the biggest deals is with a leading European airline group, IAG (which owns British Airways). This contract lasts 14 years and will supply 260 million gallons of SAF—an amount rarely seen in this industry. Long-term deals like these show that big airlines believe in Twelve’s technology and want to use their fuel to help meet new climate rules and passenger expectations.
Besides this large contract, Twelve has partnerships with companies like United Airlines 🇺🇸 itself, as well as Alaska Airlines, Shopify, and Microsoft. These agreements are all aimed at getting more E-Jet® fuel onto the market as soon as possible. As a result, Twelve is quickly becoming a key name in the move towards cleaner flying.
United Airlines Ventures: ¿Por qué es importante su inversión?
United Airlines Ventures is not just putting money into any project. This investment is part of a larger effort by United Airlines to find real solutions for making aviation cleaner. They have a special fund called the Sustainable Flight Fund, which is aimed at supporting technology that can bring down pollution from airplanes right away, even before we see electric or hydrogen airplanes traveling long distances.
Why use Combustible de Aviación Sostenible now? The answer is simple: the world needs cleaner options urgently, and regular planes can already use this fuel. Unlike other types of clean fuels that require different engines or major changes at airports, SAF from Twelve is what’s called “drop-in compatible.” This means airlines can use it with the aircraft and fueling systems they have today. There’s no need for special pipelines or planes. Plus, since this fuel is made from air and water, there’s no worry about it taking up land that could be used for food or hurting forests—problems that can happen with some biofuels.
When airlines like United invest in projects that already have working technology and big contracts, they lower the risk that the idea will fail. As reported by VisaVerge.com, these investments help to speed up the building of factories and the making of real gallons of fuel, not just small samples.
¿Por qué es urgente asegurar nuevos tipos de Combustible de Aviación Sostenible?
Right now, only a very small part of the fuel used in aviation comes from renewable sources. Making more SAF and making it cheaper are two big problems all airlines need to solve if they hope to reduce pollution fast enough. Andrew Chang, who is the Head of United Airlines Ventures, said, “Scaling the SAF industry is the major hurdle air travel needs to clear in order to increase supply and reduce price…Twelve has differentiated themselves through their capital raised and contracts secured.”
In simple terms, Chang means that if the world wants cleaner flights for everyone, there must be a lot more SAF available and it has to be affordable. The way Twelve is doing this—with strong funding and lots of customers lined up—shows they are in a good position to deliver what’s needed. And with the support from United Airlines Ventures, they have even more backing to reach these goals.
Comparación con otros métodos: Ventajas y desventajas del enfoque de Twelve
There are different ways to make Combustible de Aviación Sostenible. Some methods use crops or waste oils, while others, like Twelve’s, work with basic elements from the air and water. Twelve’s system has several clear advantages:
- No competition with food: Some fuels are made from crops, which can raise food prices or clear forests to grow more. Twelve’s fuel uses only air, water, and electricity.
- No need for new planes: E-Jet® fuel works with any regular jet, making it easy for airlines to start using it right away.
- Big emissions cut: Up to 90% less pollution over the fuel’s entire life cycle.
But there are also challenges:
- Cost: Right now, making SAF this way is more expensive than using oil. The hope is that as factories like AirPlant One grow and learn, prices will come down.
- Scale: The first plant will make 50,000 gallons a year, but airplanes use millions of gallons every day. Building lots of plants will take time and money.
The road to net-zero: What comes next?
Aviation is one of the hardest areas to clean up when it comes to pollution, because planes need lots of energy and it’s not easy to use batteries or hydrogen for long flights just yet. That’s why cleaning up the fuels planes use is so important in the short term.
By moving quickly to back projects like Twelve, United Airlines Ventures hopes to give the whole industry a “jump start.” Having big companies involved from the very beginning, guaranteeing purchases of hundreds of millions of gallons over more than a decade, provides confidence to everyone—investors, customers, governments, and environmental groups.
Airlines have made promises to reach “net zero” emissions in the next few decades. This means getting as close as possible to producing no more greenhouse gases than the amount they remove from the air. Advanced Combustible de Aviación Sostenible will be a big part of making those promises real and turning plans into action.
Impactos en inmigración y la economía local
New technologies like the ones developed by Twelve bring more than just cleaner air. When companies build new types of factories—like AirPlant One in Washington 🇺🇸—they create jobs for local people. These jobs include everything from engineers and factory workers to delivery drivers and support staff. Projects like this can also attract workers from other regions or even other countries who have special skills needed to run this kind of operation. This is important for local economies, creating new chances for employment, and sometimes even changing the makeup of small communities.
For people interested in jobs in the new green energy sector, there may be a greater demand for work visas, permits, and training. Governments may need to prepare for this by making the application process easier for these important fields. If you want to learn more about visas for workers in renewable energy or aviation projects, the official United States 🇺🇸 government website has information on the current rules and processes for work permits and skilled worker immigration: U.S. Department of State – Visas.
How these developments connect with travelers, students, and more
Travelers may notice changes over time as more airlines mix sustainable fuel in their tanks. While it is unlikely passengers will feel or see a difference in their flights at first, they might notice that airlines advertise how much less pollution each journey produces. For students interested in fields like engineering, chemistry, or environmental science, this is a story of rapid change and a sign that their chosen careers could be part of big breakthroughs.
Other companies, from tech giants like Microsoft to e-commerce leaders like Shopify, are already involved in buying future supplies of cleaner fuel for their own flights or cargo. This trend could create new markets and jobs around the world, spurring more international cooperation and possibly more cross-border job opportunities in the future.
Summary Table: Key Details
| Elemento | Detalle |
|---|---|
| Tecnología | Conversión electroquímica: CO₂ + H₂O + energía renovable → Combustible de Aviación Sostenible |
| Reducción de emisiones | Hasta 90% menos contaminantes comparado con el combustible tradicional |
| Primera planta | AirPlant One – Moses Lake, WA; ~50,000 galones/año inicialmente |
| Contratos importantes | IAG/BA: 14 años/260M galones; acuerdos con UAL y otros |
| Fondo de respaldo | United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund |
Looking ahead: Opportunities and challenges for immigrants and investors
As the Combustible de Aviación Sostenible industry grows, there will be more chances for people all over the world to get involved in this green revolution. Engineers, scientists, and even entrepreneurs looking for new business ideas might find opportunities in companies like Twelve or their supply chains. Countries that make it easy for talented people to move for work could see big benefits, especially as they attract clean energy projects.
However, since making and delivering advanced SAF requires teamwork across many countries—including those who supply renewable energy, technology, and skilled labor—governments will need to work together to set fair rules, share technology, and make sure the benefits are widely shared.
Analysis from VisaVerge.com suggests that by backing companies that have real-world factories, strong science, and long-term deals, investors like United Airlines Ventures are not just helping the environment. They are opening doors for new jobs, new technologies, and, possibly, for people planning to move for better opportunities in the new green economy.
Closing thoughts
The partnership between United Airlines Ventures and Twelve is more than just a business arrangement—it’s a signal that the era of cleaner, smarter flying is arriving. As new factories like AirPlant One open, and as more companies sign up for advanced Combustible de Aviación Sostenible, we will likely see a ripple effect on job markets, immigration, local economies, and the way people and goods move around the planet. For those watching the links between technology, immigration, jobs, and climate, this story is only just beginning.
Aprende Hoy
Combustible de Aviación Sostenible (SAF) → Combustible alternativo ecológico producido de fuentes renovables, reduce hasta un 90% las emisiones frente al combustible convencional.
Reactor OPUS → Máquina electroquímica de Twelve que convierte CO₂ y agua en hidrocarburos aptos para aviones usando electricidad renovable.
Compatibilidad Drop-in → Combustible utilizable en motores y sistemas actuales de aviones, sin modificar infraestructura ni aeronaves.
Conversión electroquímica → Tecnología que transforma CO₂ y agua en combustibles líquidos usando electricidad limpia, imitando procesos naturales a gran escala.
Acuerdo a largo plazo → Contrato extenso, como el de 14 años entre Twelve e IAG, garantizando la compra sostenida de combustibles sostenibles.
Este Artículo en Resumen
United Airlines Ventures respalda a Twelve, empresa pionera de California que crea Combustible de Aviación Sostenible usando CO₂, agua y energía renovable. El proyecto AirPlant One producirá 50,000 galones anuales, mientras contratos importantes muestran apoyo global. Esta revolución impulsa empleos verdes, transformación tecnológica y nuevas oportunidades para trabajadores calificados.
— Por VisaVerge.com
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