Biofuel for jet power…
Biofuel for jet power…
BIOFUEL to power the worlds jet engines could command the price premiums needed to make energy cropping worthwhile.
New Bio Jet A1, which can be produced by gassifying a range of energy crops, is renewable, cleaner burning and 8% more efficient than conventional jet fuel, says Tony Marmont of Northants company Midlands Renewable Energy Technology Transfer.
"Gassification is not new, South African Airways has been gassifying coal to fuel its aircraft for 10 years. We are just applying the technology to biomass," says Prof Marmont.
As well as being renewable the new fuel is sulphur-free. That means it burns more cleanly than conventional aviation fuel, leaving no sulphur dioxide pollution. Nitrous oxide emissions are also lower and carbon dioxide output is balanced by intake during crop growth.
Pilot production of New Bio Jet A1 with Swedish partner Hjelmco Oil has also shown the purer fuel improves engine performance by 8%, offering big benefits to aircraft operators.
At a recent meeting engine makers, government officials and world airlines all showed interest. "We are now looking for EU support for a commercial plant in Sweden. If successful the UK could follow soon after," he says.
• MRETT is also involved in work at Nottingham University to produce highly desirable plastics from potato and sugar beet tops. The unlikely source of high-value PPT, a stronger version of the PET used in drinks bottles, outperforms crude oil due to its greater purity, says Prof Marmont.