In 2019, the world’s airlines carried 4.5 billion passengers
and released 920 million metric tons of CO2.
Then COVID hit.
Planes were grounded, borders were shut down, and the air temporarily cleared…
giving us time to contemplate all of the ways we’re impacting Earth.
So, when the airline industry does make its comeback, will it be able to do so in an environmentally friendly way?
Pre-COVID, aviation was one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions,
rising by about 2% every year since 2000.
If it were a country, global aviation would rank in the top 10 greenhouse gas emitters,
ahead of Brazil, Mexico, and the UK.
And with its fuel consumption expected to triple over the next 25 years,
some governments aren’t waiting to take action.
In June of 2020, the UK government established the JetZero Council,
part of a post-pandemic green recovery plan that includes the adoption of sustainable technologies
to reach the goal of zero-emission flights by 2050.
Meanwhile, the French and Dutch governments have tied COVID bailout money for Air France-KLM
to a reduction in carbon emissions.
But how will the global airline industry reach these sustainability goals
while grappling with the massive financial hit from COVID?
Well, one of the easiest ways could be to re-think our fuel source.
Sustainable aviation fuel, also known as SAF, is a cleaner substitute for dirty fossil fuels.
Unlike traditional fuel like petroleum, SAF is made from waste…
animal fats, sea scum, lawn clippings, even food scraps!
These alternative fuels are chemically similar to petroleum-based jet fuel.
Once SAF is combined with conventional fuel, it forms a “blend,” which can be “dropped” right into the fuel tank
without making any adjustments to the aircraft.
Several pioneering companies are furthering SAFs adoption and helping airlines kick their fossil fuel habit for good.
One contributor is Lanzatech, a Chicago-based biotech start-up.
In 2018, they began operating the world’s first commercial plant converting industrial waste gases to fuel.
Their secret sauce is genetically-modified microbes from rabbit poop.
Lanzatech is also working with China’s leading iron and steel company to ferment carbon monoxide from steel mills.
Microbes transform carbon monoxide to make ethanol, like yeast does with sugars when making beer.
This ethanol is then heated in the presence of a catalyst, a substance that speeds-up a reaction,
and converted it into the same hydrogens and carbons that make up traditional fuel.
In 2018, Virgin Atlantic successfully used Lanzatech jet fuel on a commercial transatlantic flight.
In Sweden, another company, Renfuel, is tapping the forest for inspiration.
Lignin is a natural polymer that gives trees their strength, but it’s also considered a waste product in the paper industry.
Renfuel is converting this material into an oil called LIGNOL, to give it a second life as biofuel.
One of the world’s largest financiers of green business, is backing the development of a lignin plant
that’s expected to produce 185,000 tonnes of LIGNOL a year.
It’s going to go...you guessed it! Right next to a paper mill.
The plant will be ready in 2021.
In the Netherlands, a sustainable fuel company, SkyNRG is taking carbon recycling to another level.
As part of a study, they’re working with Climeworks to take CO2 directly from the air and convert it into jet fuel.
We’ve mentioned Climeworks on this channel before; at their Iceland pilot plant, they’re capturing CO2 and injecting it into rock!
So, if green aviation tech is here, why aren’t we flying guilt-free and green?
For starters, there’s still not enough incentive for airlines to use new technologies.
Sustainable aviation fuel costs at least twice as much as traditional jet fuel.
Fuel already accounts for up to 30 percent of an airline’s operating cost.
So, for more airlines to use sustainable fuel, it’ll need to become less expensive.
Because issues like cost have hindered the adoption of SAF, governments are using policy to regulate aviation emissions.
They’re introducing SAF mandates, considering fuel taxes, and promoting innovation.
One thing that seems abundantly clear is we can’t do business as usual.
One of the biggest factors in the adoption of sustainable aviation... is us.
By choosing to support companies and policies that encourage a low carbon footprint, we can all do our part to help save the planet.
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