Food Waste To Flight: Scientists Make Sustainable Aviation Fuel A Reality

Air travel could soon become more sustainable, thanks to a groundbreaking method that turns discarded food into jet fuel. Researchers at the University of Illinois Urban Champaign have developed a process that produces sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) meeting all current industry standards, without needing to be blended with fossil fuels.

The innovation, published in the journal Nature Communications, could help aviation achieve its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. With commercial aviation contributing an increasing share of global greenhouse gas emissions due to growing demand for air travel, sustainable fuel alternatives are seen as crucial for decarbonizing the sector, reported by Newsweek.

Yuanhui Zhang, a professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the university, explained that their research addresses both scientific and engineering challenges and allows the industry to take next steps.

He also stated that this technology could be applied to other types of oils to produce SAF and could even replace petroleum-based compounds used in plastics.

He described this discovery as having great potential for business opportunities and economic development.

The researcher's technology is based on hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), a thermochemical process that converts organic waste into crude oil. This "biocrude" is then purified and refined using hydrogen and catalysts, removing elements like nitrogen, oxygen, and sulphur to produce jet fuel, reported by Newsweek.

For the study, the team used waste from a nearby food processing plant. Every year more than 30 percent of food production worldwide is wasted, from farms, transportation, stores, and homes. When this waste ends up in landfills or water treatment systems, it emits greenhouse gases upon decomposition. Converting it into jet fuel reduces these emissions and recycles materials that would otherwise contribute to climate change.

The HTL process isn't limited to food waste; it can use a variety of feedstocks. According to the researchers, the process mimics the natural geological conditions under which fossil fuels form, compressing wet biomass under high temperature and pressure to produce biocrude.

The team's final SAF product successfully passed Tier Alpha and Beta pre-screening tests set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Federal Aviation Administration and meets all standards for use in aircraft engines without any admixtures.

This discovery is considered a significant step toward cleaner air travel by converting large-scale waste into high-quality jet fuel. The research team stated that the technology has been validated at the laboratory level and can be scaled up for commercial production.