Leading Australian low carbon liquid fuels (LCLF) company HAMR Energy has closed a AUD 10 million Series A funding round, securing investment from aviation giants Airbus and Qantas, alongside global industrial firm thyssenkrupp Uhde.
The funding marks a critical milestone as HAMR Energy advances its pipeline of projects converting plantation forestry residues into fuels aimed at decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as shipping and aviation.
Honeywell will support the initiative by providing its UOP eFining™ process technology, enabling renewable fuel production from methanol – a major step for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
HAMR Energy’s flagship Portland Renewable Fuels (PRF) project in regional Victoria will produce 300,000 tonnes per year of low carbon methanol from local plantation forestry residues.
This methanol can be used directly as a shipping fuel or converted into SAF, helping close the global supply gap, strengthen Australian fuel security, and advance the transition to cleaner energy.
“With global SAF demand expected to reach 500 million tonnes by 2050, HAMR Energy’s projects could play a pivotal role in production in Australia,” said David Stribley, co-founder of HAMR Energy. “This funding round is a pivotal moment for HAMR Energy and for Australia’s clean energy future. With the backing of world-class partners, we are advancing projects to deliver the lowest-cost, lowest-carbon fuels to decarbonise aviation and shipping at scale.”
The company is also developing Australia’s first large-scale methanol-to-jet fuel facility, which will convert methanol into more than 135 million litres of SAF annually.
The project is expected to create hundreds of construction jobs and up to 130 long-term operational positions.
Fiona Messent, Qantas group chief sustainability officer, said: “Building sustainable aviation fuel supply in Australia is essential to meeting our decarbonisation targets and reducing aviation’s emissions. HAMR Energy’s vertically integrated approach represents a significant step forward, and we’re proud to support production that will help establish this critical local industry.”
Airbus chief representative for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, Stephen Forshaw, added: “Airbus sees HAMR Energy’s innovative approach to producing SAF from methanol as a very interesting technology pathway, which can help accelerate the industry’s transition to sustainable fuels.”
Other stakeholders emphasised the collaborative nature of the project. Nadja Håkansson, CEO of thyssenkrupp Uhde, said: “Projects like this succeed when developers, technology partners, execution experts, and future offtakers work hand in hand from the very beginning. Joining forces across the entire ecosystem is what creates real-world impact.”
Honeywell, through president Rajesh Gattupalli, highlighted the regional significance: “Our agreement with HAMR Energy marks the first commercial license in the Pacific region for SAF production using Honeywell’s eFining process technology.”
Nick Chan, director of corporate strategy at OneFortyOne, which will supply feedstock, said: “The success of HAMR Energy’s project will be a defining moment for the plantation forestry industry in Australia, supporting diversification into new markets for our residual wood products.”
.png){kind=small}
