Twelve's E-Jet bet: first US plant making jet fuel from CO2 opens in Moses Lake

Twelve is a carbon-transformation company whose AirPlant One in Moses Lake, Washington, turns captured CO2 and water into E-Jet sustainable aviation fuel and E-Naphtha using renewable electricity.

That jet fuel can be made from CO2, water and renewable electricity — and Alaska–Microsoft offtake plus $645M would carry the first US e-fuel plant to scale.

$645M funding round closed in 2024 (Trellis); Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund and Alaska Star Ventures are investors (ESG Today).

Twelve was founded in 2015 to make chemicals, materials and fuels from captured CO2. In 2022 Microsoft and Alaska Airlines jointly committed to buy output from its first e-fuel plant — the anchor that let Twelve raise capital and start building.

Twelve closed a $645M funding round in 2024. AirPlant One in Moses Lake, Washington, now produces on-spec E-Jet fuel meeting ASTM certification, with fuel being delivered and sold for commercial aviation; Alaska Airlines, in partnership with Microsoft, expects to operate regular domestic flights on it. The plant also makes E-Naphtha, supplied to manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz, PANGAIA and Procter & Gamble. Trellis reports Twelve has a contract to supply five European airlines with 260 million gallons of eSAF and is planning a larger AirPlant Two.

Still live and scaling: AirPlant One is in commercial operation as of June 2026, but at roughly 50,000 gallons a year it is a symbolic first step — Alaska alone burned 1.1 million gallons of jet fuel in 2025, and eSAF costs five to ten times conventional fuel today (Trellis).

First-installation milestone is concrete and dated: US commercial E-Jet production began in June 2026 after years of pilots.

Independent coverage is verifiable: Trellis/GreenBiz, ESG Today and Interesting Engineering describe the same plant and economics.

The bet is clear: power-to-liquid fuel at commercial scale, anchored by a 2022 Alaska–Microsoft offtake.

Traction is specific: a major airline plans regular flights on the fuel and Twelve closed a $645M round in 2024.

Anchor offtake before breaking ground: Alaska–Microsoft's 2022 commitment unlocked $645M and the first plant. While fuel costs 5–10x fossil, survival depends on mandates and corporate credit buyers.

As of June 2026, AirPlant One is in commercial operation, producing ASTM-spec E-Jet fuel sold to commercial aviation partners, with Alaska Airlines expected to run regular domestic flights; E-Naphtha output goes to chemical manufacturers. Output is tiny — about 50,000 gallons a year versus Alaska's 1.1 million in 2025 — and eSAF costs an estimated five to ten times conventional fuel, so near-term economics rely on corporate credit buyers and EU e-SAF mandates. Twelve reports a 260-million-gallon contract with five European airlines and plans AirPlant Two at tens of millions of gallons a year.