Twelve has reached a major commercialization milestone with the launch of AirPlant One, its first commercial-scale carbon transformation facility.
Located in Moses Lake, Washington, the plant began operations on June 10, 2026. Rather than capturing carbon dioxide itself, AirPlant One uses captured CO₂ as a feedstock, combining it with water and renewable electricity to produce hydrocarbons that can be refined into fuels, chemicals, and materials. Twelve refers to this process as carbon transformation.
AirPlant One initially produces two flagship products: E-Jet, a power-to-liquid sustainable aviation fuel designed for existing aircraft and airport fueling infrastructure, and E-Naphtha, a synthetic version of naphtha used as a chemical feedstock for a wide range of everyday products. According to Twelve, the facility is already producing jet fuel that meets the applicable ASTM specification for commercial aviation use.
Scaling commercial production
In 2024, Twelve announced $645 million in financing, including up to $400 million in project equity from TPG Rise Climate to support future AirPlant facilities.
The company has also secured long-term demand ahead of broader production. International Airlines Group signed a 14-year agreement to purchase 260 million gallons of E-Jet, while Alaska Airlines and Microsoft have partnered with Twelve to help advance the fuel toward commercial aviation use.
From CO₂ to sustainable fuels
AirPlant One does not convert CO₂ directly into finished jet fuel in a single reaction. Instead, Twelve’s Opus electrolysis system uses renewable electricity to convert CO₂ and water into carbon monoxide and hydrogen, creating synthesis gas (syngas). This syngas serves as an intermediate that is further processed into hydrocarbon molecules and ultimately refined into products such as E-Jet and E-Naphtha.
The production process extends beyond electrolysis. Captured CO₂ must first be conditioned and delivered to the reactor, while the electrochemical reaction is carefully controlled to maintain operating conditions. The resulting gases are then separated and sent to downstream systems that convert them into liquid hydrocarbons and finished fuels.
Not every step of this production chain relies on Twelve’s proprietary technology. An SEC filing by Emerging Fuels Technology describes the licensing of proprietary Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and Maxx Jet upgrading technologies. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis converts syngas into hydrocarbons, while Maxx Jet technology upgrades those hydrocarbons into aviation fuel. In contrast, Twelve’s patent portfolio is primarily focused on the electrochemical systems that convert CO₂ into syngas and control the carbon-conversion process.
How is Twelve scaling CO₂ electrolysis?
Twelve’s patents cover three connected jobs: making the CO₂ reaction work inside each electrolyzer, keeping the gas output within the right range, and coordinating many electrolyzers and support systems inside a plant. The following three filings show that progression.
Delivering enough CO₂ to the catalyst
The first challenge is getting enough carbon dioxide to the part of the electrolyzer where the reaction happens. That reaction takes place on a catalyst, a material that helps a chemical reaction proceed. Because CO₂ does not dissolve easily in water, too little of it may reach the catalyst. Water can also react instead, producing hydrogen when the system is supposed to make a carbon-based product.
U.S. Patent No. 10,648,091 introduces a reactor that delivers CO₂ or carbon monoxide directly to the catalyst as a gas, rather than relying on the gas to first dissolve in water. At the center of the reactor is a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), a layered structure that houses the catalysts and separates the two sides of the electrochemical cell. The MEA facilitates ion transport while helping suppress the competing hydrogen evolution reaction, improving the efficiency of carbon conversion.
This design is important because commercial-scale production depends on the performance of each individual electrochemical cell. If a cell cannot consistently deliver CO₂ to the catalyst or efficiently produce the desired carbon-based products, scaling up by adding more cells simply amplifies those limitations. By improving the core CO₂ conversion step, the patent provides a foundation for larger systems such as AirPlant One.
The patent, titled “Reactor with advanced architecture for the electrochemical reaction of CO₂, CO, and other chemical compounds,” was filed on May 3, 2017, and granted on May 12, 2020. The inventors listed are Kendra P. Kuhl, Etosha R. Cave and George Leonard. Legal representation was provided by Weaver Austin Villeneuve & Sampson LLP.
Controlling syngas composition
The next challenge is producing syngas with the right composition. Twelve’s electrolyzer generates carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which together form syngas. Downstream fuel-production processes require these gases in specific proportions. If the mixture falls outside the target range, additional processing may be needed, or downstream systems may operate less efficiently.
U.S. Patent No. 12,286,716 introduces a feedback-based control method that helps keep the reactor operating near a desired gas composition. The system sets a target output, selects operating conditions, monitors the composition of the produced syngas, and adjusts reactor settings or the product stream whenever the output deviates from the target. This allows the electrolyzer to produce syngas tailored to the requirements of downstream processing.
This capability is important because fuel production consists of multiple interconnected steps. Maintaining a consistent syngas composition provides a more predictable feedstock for downstream processes, helping reduce off-spec material, minimize corrective processing, and improve the overall stability and efficiency of the production system.
The patent, titled “System and method for carbon dioxide reactor control,” was filed on October 26, 2021, and granted on April 29, 2025. The inventors listed are Nicholas H. Flanders, Kendra P. Kuhl, Etosha R. Cave, Sichao Ma, Ziyang Huo, Carter S. Haines, Timothy A. Bekkedahl, Kathryn L. Corp, Ashley D. Mishra, Edward Izett and Luka Stevic. Legal representation was provided by Weaver Austin Villeneuve & Sampson LLP.
Operating multiple electrolyzers as one system
The third challenge is operating multiple electrolyzers as a single, integrated production system. A commercial facility must distribute water, electricity, and CO₂ across many reactors while managing heat, separating product streams, and monitoring parameters such as pressure, temperature, and flow. It also needs to respond to equipment issues without unnecessarily shutting down the entire plant.
U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2024/0141512 describes an integrated CO₂ electrolysis plant comprising multiple electrolyzers supported by shared process infrastructure. The application covers systems for water and electrolyte circulation, gas separation, temperature management, electrical controls, and process monitoring. It also enables the control system to adjust operating conditions or isolate an individual electrolyzer when operating parameters fall outside acceptable limits.
This approach is important because commercial performance depends on the output and reliability of the entire plant rather than any single electrolyzer. Shared support systems, continuous monitoring, and the ability to isolate a malfunctioning unit can help maintain production, protect equipment, and ensure consistent product quality. The application extends Twelve’s technology beyond the electrochemical reaction itself to the plant-level systems required for reliable, large-scale operation.
The patent application, titled “CO₂ electrolysis plant,” was filed on October 31, 2023, and published on May 2, 2024. The inventors listed are Lisa C. Wynia, Gregory J. DiCosola, Kendra P. Kuhl, Sichao Ma, Carter S. Haines, Timothy A. Bekkedahl, Heegun Park and Nicholas A. Taylor.
Twelve: Patenting Activity
Twelve’s transition from technology development to commercial deployment coincided with a sharp rise in patent publications after 2022. In 2024, the company signed a 14-year E-Jet supply agreement with International Airlines Group, received up to $28.5 million in federal tax credits to expand Opus electrolyzer manufacturing, secured a $25 million construction loan for AirPlant One, and announced $645 million in financing. Together, these milestones mark the period when Twelve was preparing its electrolyzer technology, manufacturing capability, and first fuel plant for commercial use.
Twelve: Top Technology Areas
Twelve’s CPC classifications show that its innovation strategy spans the entire CO₂-to-products value chain. Electrolysis (C25B) dominates the portfolio, reflecting the company’s focus on electrochemical CO₂ conversion. Strong representation in electrochemical cells (H01M) and polymer-related technologies (C08G, C08J, C08L) highlights continued development of electrolyzer components, membranes, and materials that improve efficiency, durability, and reactor performance.
Beyond the core conversion process, the portfolio includes separation and purification (B01D), hydrocarbon chemistry (C07C), and hydrocarbon refining and conversion (C10G), indicating investment in downstream processing needed to transform CO₂-derived intermediates into commercial products. This technology mix aligns with Twelve’s commercialization strategy, where Opus provides the electrochemical conversion platform and AirPlant integrates separation, purification, and fuel synthesis to produce sustainable aviation fuel, including E-Jet, and chemical products such as E-Naphtha at commercial scale.
Twelve: Top Law Firms
The data shows the main law firms handling Twelve’s global patent filings and applications. Weaver Austin Villeneuve & Sampson leads the group, followed by firms such as Bereskin & Parr, RYUKA & Partners, and Spruson & Ferguson, showing that Twelve Benefit works with experienced firms specializing in intellectual property and patent law.
Other firms such as Abu-Ghazaleh IP, Kim & Cho, Lewis Silkin, Flener IP & Business Law, Smart & Biggar, and Urquhart-Dykes & Lord (now acquired by Murgitroyd) also support Twelve Benefit’s patent activities. This mix of global and specialized firms reflects Twelve Benefit’s broad legal network for protecting and managing its intellectual property portfolio.