Authorities claimed that its quality is almost the same as that of conventional aircraft parts.
Firefly Green Fuels, a firm based in the United Kingdom, has invented a new type of jet fuel that is completely free of fossil fuels and is made from waste products from humans. The corporation collaborated with specialists from Cranfield University to verify that the gasoline they manufactured had a carbon footprint that was ninety percent lower than the one that is now utilized in the aviation industry, as reported by the BBC. According to the findings of tests conducted by independent regulators, the product that Firefly Green Fuels has developed is almost identical to the conventional A1 jet fuel.
The company was awarded a grant of two million pounds by the Department of Transport in 2021 so that it may proceed with the development of its environmentally friendly aircraft fuel. In spite of the fact that it is not currently ready for commercial use, the firm claims that it is well on its way to introducing its fuel to the international market, and that it will have its first commercial plant operational within the next five years. The company has already signed a collaboration with the low-cost airline Wizz Air, which is the name of the company and the source of its potential combustibles. This partnership means that the company will begin receiving fuel from Wizz Air beginning in the year 2028.
At the moment, it obtains its waste from water companies in the United Kingdom. The refined sewage is then put through a process known as hydrothermal liquefaction, which transforms the liquid waste into sludge or crude oil. Another use for solid by-products is as a fertilizer for agricultural crops. According to the firm, the carbon intensity of the entire process is 7.97 grams of carbon dioxide per megajoule (gCO2e/MJ). This is a measurement that determines how much carbon is required to produce energy. In comparison, the International Council for Climate Change (ICCT) reports that the carbon intensity observed for jet fuel is within the range of 85 to 95 gCO2e/MJ.
It is the company’s assertion that the transformation of organic matter into the fossil fuels that are used to power automobiles and airplanes takes millions of years. The system that Firefly has developed makes it possible to manufacture fuel in a matter of days, and more crucially, human waste is a resource that is readily available. It is not apparent whether the cost of sustainable jet fuel will be more or lower than the conventional jet fuel that is currently available. It was not possible to get in touch with the company right away for a comment. On the other hand, the Chief Executive Officer of the company, James Hygate, stated in a statement that the utilization of human waste is a “commodious and abundant feedstock [that]will never run out.”
The attainment of carbon neutrality in our airspaces has been a goal that regulators and leaders in both Europe and the United States have had for a considerable amount of time. It may be some time before we see commercial airplanes driven by batteries, despite the fact that electric vehicles have made progress in the automobile business. Therefore, in the interim, we would like it if there were some ways to make jet fuel that is less harmful to the environment.