A new way to fly cleaner may be hiding in your garbage bin. Scientists have found that municipal solid waste, including food scraps and discarded packaging, could become a major feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), drastically cutting carbon emissions from air travel.
Aviation accounts for around 2.5 percent of global carbon emissions, and demand for air travel is set to double by 2040.
While electric cars are taking off, planes have no easy path to decarbonization. That’s where SAF steps in, the fuels made from renewable or waste-based materials that can replace conventional jet fuel without engine modifications.
KennstduIngo on
This isn’t really new. People have been working on this for over a decade now and unfortunately it has been a rocky road. In the US, interest as of late has all but evaporated due to uncertainty in the regulatory regime. The failure of the Fulcrum Bioenergy SAF project in Nevada didn’t help boost enthusiasm for investing in these types of projects either. Fortunately, there are still opportunities abroad.
geek66 on
Such a proudly written article – and messaging is incorrect anyway.
SAF is already a thing – so there is a clear path – even today, it could be converted with about a 80% increase in ticket prices – while that seems high, it really is not that bad for today as none of these systems have scaled. Most wealthy activist types are already using this and paying that premium – no questions asked.
But we consume ~ 1.8B pounds of Jet fuel a day -I seriously doubt urban organic waste streams can really make a dent in that. Can it help – absolutely – is it a fix, no.
Splenda on
Except most of aviation’s climate harm comes from contrail cirrus and other non-CO2 emissions.
Don’t fly.
Collapse_is_underway on
Trying to convince yourself that any kind of “sustainable” aviation is possible is delusional. You can gorge yourself in the promises of the various CEOs from various industries and believe the “I fly with my private jet but I’m giving money to plant some (monoculture) trees / I buy carbon credits, so I’m saving the planet” but it won’t make it a reality.
5 Comments
A new way to fly cleaner may be hiding in your garbage bin. Scientists have found that municipal solid waste, including food scraps and discarded packaging, could become a major feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), drastically cutting carbon emissions from air travel.
Aviation accounts for around 2.5 percent of global carbon emissions, and demand for air travel is set to double by 2040.
While electric cars are taking off, planes have no easy path to decarbonization. That’s where SAF steps in, the fuels made from renewable or waste-based materials that can replace conventional jet fuel without engine modifications.
This isn’t really new. People have been working on this for over a decade now and unfortunately it has been a rocky road. In the US, interest as of late has all but evaporated due to uncertainty in the regulatory regime. The failure of the Fulcrum Bioenergy SAF project in Nevada didn’t help boost enthusiasm for investing in these types of projects either. Fortunately, there are still opportunities abroad.
Such a proudly written article – and messaging is incorrect anyway.
SAF is already a thing – so there is a clear path – even today, it could be converted with about a 80% increase in ticket prices – while that seems high, it really is not that bad for today as none of these systems have scaled. Most wealthy activist types are already using this and paying that premium – no questions asked.
But we consume ~ 1.8B pounds of Jet fuel a day -I seriously doubt urban organic waste streams can really make a dent in that. Can it help – absolutely – is it a fix, no.
Except most of aviation’s climate harm comes from contrail cirrus and other non-CO2 emissions.
Don’t fly.
Trying to convince yourself that any kind of “sustainable” aviation is possible is delusional. You can gorge yourself in the promises of the various CEOs from various industries and believe the “I fly with my private jet but I’m giving money to plant some (monoculture) trees / I buy carbon credits, so I’m saving the planet” but it won’t make it a reality.