• Amazon is investing in GranBio’s waste-to-fuel technology to support sustainable aviation fuel production.
• GranBio’s process converts forestry residues, crop stalks and construction debris into drop-in fuels.
• The company plans to repurpose shuttered U.S. pulp and paper mills into advanced biorefineries.

Amazon is investing in GranBio to advance a waste-based sustainable aviation fuel pathway that could help reduce emissions in aviation, long-haul trucking and other hard-to-abate transport sectors.

The investment supports GranBio’s work to develop a commercial solution for producing sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, from forest residues and construction waste. The company’s technology converts discarded materials into lower-carbon fuels that can work with existing engines and fuel infrastructure.

For Amazon, the investment fits into a wider decarbonization strategy. The company has committed to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 through The Climate Pledge. Transport remains one of the most difficult areas to decarbonize, especially where electrification is not yet viable at scale.

Waste Becomes a Fuel Feedstock

GranBio’s technology uses waste materials that often have limited economic value. These include leftover branches from forestry operations, crop stalks, discarded pallets, plywood and other construction debris.

Across the United States, these materials often end up in landfills or remain unused. In forested areas, they can also increase wildfire risk. GranBio’s model turns that liability into a feedstock for lower-carbon fuel production.

The process breaks down woody biomass to unlock the carbon stored inside plant fiber. That material is then synthesized into fuel molecules similar to those found in petroleum diesel, gasoline and jet fuel.

The technology also produces a byproduct that generates heat for the facility. This helps reduce external energy inputs and supports the economics of production.

The final products include renewable diesel, renewable gasoline and SAF. These are designed as drop-in fuels, meaning they are chemically compatible with conventional fuel infrastructure. That matters for sectors that cannot move quickly to full electrification.

Scaling Through Industrial Reuse

GranBio plans to scale SAF production capacity over the next decade by repurposing shuttered pulp and paper mills across the United States.

That strategy could reduce project development barriers. Existing industrial sites may already have relevant infrastructure, logistics access and skilled labor pools. It also gives the project a regional development angle at a time when many rural manufacturing communities are looking for new investment.

“Working with Amazon on this project brings us closer to proving that sustainable aviation fuel made from forest and construction waste can be a real, scalable solution for decarbonizing aviation,” said Kim Nelson, GranBio’s chief technology officer. “Our technology takes materials that would otherwise go unused and transforms them into clean energy, while creating opportunities to revitalize rural communities and improve the health of America’s forests.”

For investors and corporate buyers, the project speaks to a broader challenge in clean fuels. Demand for SAF is rising, but supply remains limited. Airlines, logistics companies and large corporates need lower-carbon fuel options that can scale without waiting for full fleet replacement.

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Amazon Targets Hard-to-Abate Transport

Amazon said the investment forms part of its broader work to develop and test emerging technologies that could cut emissions across global operations. Its focus areas include transportation, buildings and packaging.

The company views lower-carbon fuels as a key lever for areas where electrification remains constrained. Aviation is one of the clearest examples. Aircraft have long asset lives, fuel demand is high and large-scale alternatives remain limited.

“Aviation needs lower-carbon fuel, and the supply doesn’t exist at scale yet,” said Andreas Marschner, Amazon’s vice president of Worldwide Operations Sustainability. “GranBio’s technology has the potential to change that, turning abundant waste materials into drop-in fuels. By investing now, we’re helping demonstrate the demand for solutions that, if they succeed, can become available to the whole industry. That’s how we accelerate this transition. Not alone, but together.”

The governance and finance implications are clear. Corporate investment can help de-risk technologies before full commercial maturity. It can also give emerging fuel producers early demand visibility, which is vital for project finance.

For C-suite leaders, the message is practical. Decarbonization in aviation will require more than efficiency gains or offsets. It will need new supply chains, long-term offtake signals and infrastructure-ready fuels that can meet operational needs.

Amazon’s backing of GranBio adds another corporate demand signal to the SAF market. If the model scales, waste-based fuels could help connect climate goals with rural industrial redevelopment and forest management. That combination gives the project relevance beyond one company’s operations.