Syzygy Plasmonics is teaming up with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to accelerate the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) projects across Latin America, starting with a planned commercial-scale facility in Uruguay.
Under a new framework agreement, IFC will provide technical and commercial advisory support as Syzygy develops its regional SAF pipeline. The first project in line for support is NovaSAF-1, a planned facility in Durazno, Uruguay, that would mark the first commercial deployment of Syzygy's light-driven technology.
The company says NovaSAF-1 will use renewable electricity and biogas to produce SAF, potentially offering a lower-carbon alternative to conventional jet fuel while creating a template for similar projects across the region.
"The transition to lower-carbon aviation will depend on technologies that are not only innovative, but commercially viable and scalable," said Raphaël Eskinazi, IFC Regional Investment Manager for Manufacturing and Forests in Latin America and the Caribbean.
"IFC's role is to help bridge that transition: supporting pioneering projects that can mobilize private capital, demonstrate new business models and create pathways for broader market adoption across emerging economies."
Syzygy's technology replaces fossil-fuel heat with renewable electricity to power light-driven reactors that convert biogas into SAF. The company estimates the process could cut lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% compared with conventional jet fuel.
The partnership comes as airlines and fuel producers face mounting pressure to scale up lower-carbon aviation fuels. Latin America's renewable energy resources and biogas feedstocks could give the region a significant role in that expansion.
"IFC's involvement is a strong signal that Syzygy is poised to disrupt the market; we have the technology, the project pipeline, and the commercial agreements that underpin it," said Trevor Best, Co-Founder and CEO of Syzygy Plasmonics. "IFC's role in helping innovative technologies become commercially viable and replicable across emerging markets matches the ambition of our NovaSAF build-out."
Syzygy already has commercial agreements supporting its regional ambitions. Trafigura has signed a binding offtake agreement covering the full production of NovaSAF-1, while Trafigura and World Fuel Services have signed capacity reservation agreements for potential future facilities across Latin America.
The company has also secured feedstock agreements with partners including Estancias del Lago and Geo Bio Gas & Carbon.
Together, the agreements underpin Syzygy's broader expansion strategy, including a target of up to 1 million metric tons of annual SAF production capacity in Brazil by 2035.
