Scientists at a Gloucestershire laboratory turned this waste into kerosene. Independent tests have found that this fuel is nearly identical to traditional fossil jet fuel.
The company’s managing director, James Hygate, has been producing low carbon fuels in Gloucestershire for 20 years. Although this fuel acts like fossil kerosene, it contains no fossil carbon: it is a fossil-free fuel.
Aviation accounts for 2% of global carbon emissions, contributing to global warming. Decarbonizing flying has been one of the biggest challenges.
Electric planes are being developed: for example, a company in the Cotswolds promises hydrogen-electric flights for a dozen passengers by 2026. But it could be years or even decades before mass flight becomes operational using entirely new technology.
Therefore, several companies began to hastily develop fossil-fuel-free kerosene.
“We wanted to find really low-cost raw materials, which are abundant,” Hygate said. They tried several options before settling on human excrement.
The UK’s total wastewater supply would cover around 5% of the country’s total jet fuel demand. It may seem like a small sum, but Hygate is very excited.
Today only 0.1% of jet fuel is “sustainable”. Hygate’s 5% target seems rather large in comparison. It also uses raw materials that no one else wants, but which are universal.
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2023-12-30 09:28:20
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