British Airways, Royal Dutch Shell and renewable fuels company Velocys have announced plans to develop what they say would be Europe’s first commercial plant that converts household and commercial waste into jet fuel.
The proposed facility is designed to process roughly 500,000 metric tons of non-recyclable solid waste each year and produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) suitable for commercial aircraft. By diverting waste from landfill and incineration and turning it into a usable fuel, the partners aim to deliver both waste management and climate benefits.
British Airways has committed to purchasing fuel produced by the plant as part of its broader strategy to cut carbon emissions. The airline is targeting a 50 percent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 compared with 2005 levels. The developers estimate that the SAF produced at the site could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 70 percent for every metric ton of conventional jet fuel it replaces, when lifecycle emissions are accounted for.
In addition to lower lifecycle carbon emissions, the use of SAF from waste feedstocks can reduce certain local air pollutants. Burning cleaner fuels can result in reduced soot and sulfur oxide emissions from engine exhaust, improving air quality around airports. The partners also highlight that producing fuel from waste offers a lower-emissions route for waste processing compared with traditional incineration or landfill disposal.
Biofuels broadly refer to non-petroleum fuels produced in ways that avoid depleting natural resources and help limit contributions to climate change. They can be derived from a wide range of feedstocks, including used cooking oil, plant oils, municipal solid waste, industrial off-gases, sugars and agricultural residues. A variety of conversion technologies are used to transform these sources into fuel suitable for transport, including aviation.
Although sustainable aviation fuels are not emissions-free when combusted, they typically deliver meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions compared with fossil jet fuel, especially when produced from waste or other low-carbon feedstocks and when lifecycle emissions are minimized.
Alex Cruz, Chief Executive Officer of British Airways, said that submitting the planning application represents a significant milestone for the project. He described sustainable fuels as a potential “game changer” for aviation and an important element in meeting industry-wide climate objectives.
“This development is an important step in the reduction of our carbon emissions and meeting the industry targets of carbon neutral growth from 2020, and a 50 per cent reduction in CO2 by 2050 from 2005 levels,” Cruz said. “It also brings the UK another step closer to becoming a global leader in sustainable aviation fuels.”