Qantas and Airbus have jointly backed a $2 million capital raise for Brisbane-based Wildfire Energy, a startup pioneering technology that converts household waste into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Supported additionally by a $3.15 million ARENA grant, this funding aims to expand Wildfire’s modular gasification system to commercial levels and promote local fuel independence for the aviation sector.
- Wildfire’s MIHG tech converts household waste into sustainable aviation fuel.
- Qantas, Airbus, and ARENA combine $5.15 million funding for scaling.
- Focus on local production to reduce fuel import dependency.
What happened
Wildfire Energy, a Brisbane-based startup founded in 2016, received $2 million in funding from Qantas and Airbus through the Climate Tech Partners aviation fund to upscale its patented Moving Injection Horizontal Gasification (MIHG) technology. This technology converts unprocessed household waste into synthesis gas used to produce methanol and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Additionally, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) contributed a $3.15 million grant to support the pilot integration of Wildfire’s technology into methanol synthesis and to conduct a feasibility study for a Queensland-based commercial SAF facility. The combined fundraising will scale the existing pilot plant and prepare for wider domestic deployment.
Why it matters
Australia currently relies heavily on imported aviation fuels, making the sector vulnerable to global supply disruptions. Wildfire’s technology offers a local, cost-effective solution by turning municipal waste into sustainable fuels, addressing both environmental waste management challenges and fuel security concerns.
For the aviation industry, increasing SAF production is critical to meeting emerging regulatory mandates aimed at reducing carbon emissions. By supporting innovations like Wildfire’s, major players such as Qantas and Airbus are investing in sovereign fuel supplies that align with national decarbonization goals and regional economic development, especially for councils facing landfill constraints.
What to watch next
The critical next steps include upgrading Wildfire’s eight-year-old pilot plant near Brisbane to commercial scale and completing the feasibility study for a full-scale Queensland SAF production facility. Success will be measured by the technology’s scalability, cost competitiveness, and integration into existing fuel infrastructure.
Longer term, Wildfire aims to expand via a capital-light licensing model, potentially proliferating their technology across regional Australia and globally. Stakeholders will be closely monitoring regulatory frameworks, airline SAF mandates, and additional funding that could accelerate adoption of waste-derived fuels in the aviation sector.