Researchers have found a promising way to reduce air pollution by transforming everyday garbage into jet fuel.
This innovative approach could significantly decrease the carbon footprint of the aviation industry, which is a major contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions.
Each year, airplanes in the United States burn through about 22 billion gallons of jet fuel, leading to the release of roughly 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide. That’s about 3% of the world’s total emissions from this harmful greenhouse gas.
To combat this, a group from the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has explored a new method that could replace up to 25% of this fuel with a cleaner alternative made from waste.
Their study, published in 2023 in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, suggests building refineries near big airports that could convert local waste into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
These refineries could produce between 3 and 5 billion gallons of SAF each year by processing things like household trash, food scraps, and sludge from water treatment plants.
The concept is simple yet impactful. Instead of allowing organic waste to end up in landfills where it emits methane—a potent greenhouse gas—it could be turned into biocrude oil. This oil can then be refined into jet fuel.
Technologies like hydrothermal liquefaction, which replicates the natural formation of crude oil but much faster, and gasification, which turns waste into gas, are at the forefront of this process.
Timothy Seiple, a computational scientist at PNNL and lead author of the study, pointed out the strategic advantage of building these facilities near major waste-producing centers that are close to large airports.
This setup minimizes transportation costs and emissions and maximizes the efficiency of fuel production.
Consider Los Angeles’s LAX airport, for example, which uses about 2 billion gallons of jet fuel per year.
The surrounding area has the potential to produce 131 million gallons of SAF, covering about 7% of its yearly fuel consumption. In Chicago, the potential is even greater, with the possibility to cover 22% of the jet fuel used by ORD airport.
Overall, if SAF refineries were established at about 100 sites across the country, they could lower the aviation industry’s carbon emissions by 10-18%.
This isn’t just about cleaning the air; it’s also about reducing the volume of waste that ends up in landfills.
While the idea of SAF is promising, it does face challenges. The new fuel types need rigorous testing to meet international standards, and refineries must be built in a way that considers both environmental impact and community concerns.
Yet, the benefits of converting waste into fuel, reducing landfill use, and cutting down on emissions present a compelling case for this sustainable solution.
With the potential for big environmental benefits, this research could lead us to a future where flying is cleaner, and our waste finds new life as fuel for our journeys.
