SOPERTON, Ga. — The world's airlines have pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, that means ditching fossil fuels for something green.
LanzaJet moved into Soperton and together they may make history in aviation technology.
Treutlen County Commission Chairman Phil Jennings IV has come full circle when it comes to aviation.
"As a kid I remember it was such a treat to go on an airplane especially from a small town like this," he said.
A skyscraper blue tower will churn out Sustainable Aviation Fuel or SAF by the end of the year.
"In the construction phase they've got I think 125 jobs out there somewhere in that ballpark and on a full time scale there will be 31 jobs," Jennings said.
LanzaJet is projected to bring in a $70 million economic impact a year, five million of that in salaries alone. And those are big numbers for an area with a little over 10,000 people in the city and county.
It will be something different for Soperton that's for sure, different for Soperton and different for the planet.
Freedom Pines is the first refinery of its kind in the world. The town has gotten national exposure.
In December, dozens of people gathered for a kickoff event.
A LanzaJet promotional video said the plant is going to produce one third to a half of the aviation fuel used in the United States
"I was blown away by the people there literally from all over the world," Jennings said.
Jennings says LanzaJet is like a good neighbor. They've offered to help apply for grants to help the downtown area.
Downtown Soperton is like many towns, some store fronts are bleak, while others are bustling.
Just building the tower has brought some new store fronts to main street.
"These dreams are coming to fruition. I'm happy for our county to reap the rewards of them choosing Soperton," Jennings said.
It's definitely not a project that's going to fly under the radar.