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First commercial flight partly fuelled by recycled waste lands in UK First commercial flight partly fuelled by recycled waste lands in UK
(about 1 hour later)
The first commercial flight to use jet fuel partly made from recycled industrial waste has landed at a London airport. The first commercial flight to use jet fuel partly made from recycled industrial waste has landed at Gatwick.
The Virgin Atlantic flight from Orlando, Florida, to Gatwick was powered by a new blend of normal jet fuel and ethanol produced from waste gases, which the airline says could significantly lower aviation’s carbon footprint. The Virgin Atlantic plane, travelling from Orlando to London, was powered by a new blend of normal jet fuel and ethanol produced from waste gases, which the airline says could significantly lower aviation’s carbon footprint.
The fuel blend was 5% recycled on Wednesday’s flight but the sustainable element could form up to 50% eventually. It was produced in the US by LanzaTech, which claims it could eventually supply around a fifth of the aviation industry’s fuel and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 65% compared with conventional petroleum. Virgin is bidding for government support to see plants built in the UK that could fuel all its operations. The flight’s fuel blend was 5% recycled, but the sustainable element could eventually form up to 50%.
Welcoming the Boeing 747 on arrival at Gatwick was Sir Richard Branson, the airline’s founder, who said the flight was a huge step forward in making the fuel a mainstream reality. He said: ”Working with LanzaTech will enable us to greatly reduce our carbon emissions and, at the same time, help support UK industry. It was produced in the US by LanzaTech, which claims it could eventually supply about 20% of the aviation industry’s fuel, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 65% compared with conventional petroleum. Virgin is bidding for government support to have plants built in the UK that could fuel all its operations.
“This fuel takes waste, carbon-rich gases from industrial factories and gives them a second life – so that new fossil fuels don’t have to be taken out of the ground.” Welcoming the Boeing 747 on arrival was Sir Richard Branson, the airline’s founder, who said the flight was a huge step forward in making the fuel a mainstream reality.
Virgin called on ministers to provide financial support for LanzaTech to open three UK plants by 2025, potentially producing up to 125m gallons of the jet fuel blend each year. “Working with LanzaTech will enable us to greatly reduce our carbon emissions and, at the same time, help support UK industry,” he said.
The LanzaTech chief executive, Jennifer Holmgren, said: “We have shown that recycling waste carbon emissions into jet fuel is not impossible, that waste carbon needs to be thought as an opportunity not a liability, that carbon can be reused over and over again.” “This fuel takes waste, carbon-rich gases from industrial factories and gives them a second life so that new fossil fuels don’t have to be taken out of the ground.”
However, other similar schemes have failed to come to fruition: Willie Walsh, the boss of BA’s owning group, IAG, bitterly criticised the lack of government support for a proposed east London GreenSky factory that it said could fuel all BA flights from City Airport after 2014, but was never built and abandoned in 2016. Virgin called on ministers to provide financial backing for LanzaTech to open three UK plants by 2025, potentially producing up to 125m gallons of the jet fuel blend a year.
The Department for Transport has since committed some funds towards a new project from the biofuels firm Velocys, backed by BA and Shell, which could turn household waste, including nappies, into jet fuel. The LanzaTech chief executive, Jennifer Holmgren, said: “We have shown that recycling waste carbon emissions into jet fuel is not impossible, that waste carbon needs to be thought [of] as an opportunity not a liability, that carbon can be reused over and over again.”
The aviation minister, Liz Sugg, said: “We are committed to cutting carbon emissions and promoting new environmentally-friendly fuels – especially for aeroplanes, which will rely on traditional fuels for years to come.” However, other similar schemes have failed to come to fruition. Willie Walsh, the chief executive of the British Airways owner, IAG, bitterly criticised a lack of government support for a proposed east London GreenSky factory, which it said could fuel all BA flights from London City airport after 2014, but was never built and abandoned in 2016.
The UK’s binding climate change targets only require the aviation industry to stay within 2005 levels of CO2 emissions by 2050 – although rapid growth in overall flights is predicted. The Department for Transport has since committed some funds towards a new project from the biofuels company Velocys, backed by BA and Shell, which could turn household waste, including nappies, into jet fuel.
Most progress in managing aviation emissions to date has been through more efficient planes – Virgin has reported a 24% reduction in its overall CO2 emissions from 2007 t0 2017, with aircraft such as 787s starting to replace old 747s. But the widespread use of more sustainable fuels, allied with carbon offsetting schemes, will also be required. The aviation minister, Liz Sugg, said: “We are committed to cutting carbon emissions and promoting new environmentally-friendly fuels, especially for aeroplanes, which will rely on traditional fuels for years to come.”
The UK’s binding climate change targets only require the aviation industry to stay within 2005 levels of CO2 emissions by 2050 – although rapid growth in the number of flights is predicted.
Most progress in managing aviation emissions to date has been through more efficient planes – Virgin reported a 24% reduction in its overall CO2 emissions from 2007 t0 2017, with aircraft such as 787s starting to replace old 747s. But the widespread use of more sustainable fuels, allied with carbon-offsetting schemes, will also be required.
Airline industryAirline industry
Renewable energyRenewable energy
Air transportAir transport
Virgin AtlanticVirgin Atlantic
PollutionPollution
Energy efficiencyEnergy efficiency
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