One person’s trash is another person’s fuel? It may sound strange, but researchers at the University of Illinois have taken a big step toward turning food waste into jet fuel.
Published in Nature Communications, the study reveals a new method for converting excess food into biofuel, which can then be refined into jet fuel. This process meets the industry standards for conventional jet fuel, meaning it could one day be used in commercial airplanes.
Food waste is a major problem, with the EPA reporting that in 2022, over 35 million tons of food were discarded in the U.S. alone. That’s a lot of potential energy going to waste. Experts believe that reusing this waste could help the aviation industry reach its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Yuanhui Zhang, a professor involved in the research, explained that this approach closes the loop in a “circular economy.” Instead of a linear process — produce, consume, discard — we can recycle waste into valuable products.
In the U.S., transportation accounted for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions, with about 7% from commercial flights. While cars have evolved to be more fuel-efficient and many are switching to electric power, airplanes still rely on traditional jet fuel, which is much denser in energy than batteries.
Enter sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), often made from organic materials. Some estimates suggest SAF can reduce flying emissions by up to 80%. However, creating viable fuel for planes has been tricky due to strict chemical standards.
The researchers collected food waste from local processing plants and used a method called hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). This process speeds up how nature converts organic material into crude oil. After extracting the crude oil, they cleaned it through a two-part process, removing impurities to produce the desired hydrocarbons for jet fuel.
Their fuel passed industry tests without needing additional additives, making it a candidate for powering commercial aircraft. However, scaling this process to meet the demands of an entire airline will be challenging and require significant investment beyond academic research.
Zhang remains optimistic. “Our work solves scientific and engineering challenges, paving the way for industry involvement,” he says.
As interest in sustainable solutions grows, this breakthrough provides a glimmer of hope for reducing the aviation industry’s environmental impact while tackling the pressing issue of food waste.
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