ATLANTA, Ga., October 7, 2026: CarbonCore Inc. today announced that its GeorgiaSAF™ development program is advancing plans for a commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel production facility in Southwest Georgia. The planned facility is intended to convert sustainably sourced woody biomass into aviation fuel for the Southeast and wider U.S. aviation market.
CarbonCore has selected Bainbridge and Decatur County as the focus of development for GeorgiaSAF’s first commercial production node. The company is working with local and regional stakeholders on site assembly, infrastructure, rail access, utilities and technical diligence.
The planned node is being configured with two production trains targeting approximately 20,000 barrels per day at full planned capacity. That figure is a development target, not existing or committed production capacity. Site development, engineering, feedstock, logistics, utility and commercial activities are proceeding in parallel.
GeorgiaSAF is being developed around Georgia’s forestry industry. The project is intended to create a substantial new long-term industrial market for sustainably sourced woody biomass, connecting rural Georgia’s forest economy with the state’s aviation sector.
“Georgia doesn’t need to invent the ingredients for a sustainable aviation fuel industry. It already has the forests, the people, the logistics and one of the world’s great aviation markets,” said Michael McKenzie, President and CEO of CarbonCore Inc. “Our job is to connect those strengths at commercial scale. GeorgiaSAF is about turning that opportunity into physical infrastructure, creating a durable new market for Georgia’s forestry economy while producing aviation fuel in the region where the demand for it already exists.”
McKenzie added: “For us, this begins with people and forests.”
CarbonCore welcomes the formation of the Georgia Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition and its focus on connecting Georgia’s natural resources with its aviation economy. GeorgiaSAF is a CarbonCore development program; this announcement does not represent Coalition endorsement of the project.
From forests to flight
GeorgiaSAF’s development concept uses thermochemical conversion of woody biomass to produce synthesis gas, followed by Fischer-Tropsch conversion and upgrading into finished fuels. The program aims to produce lower-carbon aviation fuel. Any emissions benefit will depend on the final project design, feedstock supply chain and lifecycle assessment.
The first Georgia node is intended to establish a repeatable model for future commercial-scale CarbonCore developments elsewhere in the United States. Feedstock development is proceeding alongside engineering, with an emphasis on a reliable long-term supply system that complements Georgia’s existing forest-products industry and its higher-value uses.
“This is about building an industrial bridge between two industries Georgia already understands extraordinarily well: forestry and aviation,” McKenzie said.
Bainbridge development
CarbonCore selected Bainbridge and Decatur County as the focus of development because of the area’s proximity to forestry resources, rail infrastructure and the broader industrial and logistics network serving Georgia and the Southeast.
Rick McCaskill, Executive Director, Development Authority of Bainbridge & Decatur County, said: “Decatur County’s forestry resources, rail connectivity and industrial infrastructure provide a strong foundation for developments of this kind. We have been working with CarbonCore as the company advances development of its first GeorgiaSAF production facility in Bainbridge, and we’re pleased with the progress being made through the site assembly and diligence process. We look forward to continuing that work as the project moves through its development milestones.”
Site assembly and technical diligence are underway as CarbonCore advances the Bainbridge development through the next stages of project development.
Construction and operation remain subject to completion of site assembly and control, technical diligence, engineering, permitting, financing, feedstock and commercial arrangements, and other customary project milestones. No construction start or operating date is being announced.
About GeorgiaSAF
GeorgiaSAF™ is CarbonCore Inc.’s sustainable aviation fuel development platform for Georgia, focused on converting sustainably sourced woody biomass into commercial-scale aviation fuel while creating new long-term economic opportunities across the state’s forestry and rural communities.
PEOPLE | FORESTS | FLIGHT
About CarbonCore Inc
CarbonCore Inc. is a U.S. developer of commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel infrastructure. The company is developing a regional-to-national production platform based on biomass conversion and Fischer-Tropsch technologies, with projects designed around scalable production, established feedstock resources and access to major aviation markets.
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