A brand-new aviation company has created jet fuel that is solely derived from human sewage. According to the BBC, waste has been successfully transformed into kerosene by scientists at a Gloucestershire laboratory.
“Our goal was to identify a feedstock that was both highly abundant and low-value,” stated James Hygate, CEO of Firefly Green Fuels. Of course, there is a lot of poop.”
Independent tests by international aviation regulators found that it was very similar to traditional fossil fuel jet fuel. Firefly and Cranfield University worked together to evaluate the fuel’s life cycle carbon impact. According to the research, Firefly fuel has a carbon footprint 90% smaller than regular jet fuel.
Mr Hygate, who has dedicated two decades to the development of low-carbon fuels in Gloucestershire, emphasized that while the new fuel shares chemical similarities with fossil-based kerosene, it is distinctly different in that it contains no fossil carbon-making it a truly fossil-free fuel.
“Of course, energy would be used (in production), but when looking at the fuel’s life cycle, a 90% saving is mind-blowing, so yes, we have to use energy but it is much lower compared to the production of fossil fuels,” he added.
Globally, aviation is responsible for approximately 2% of total carbon emissions, contributing to climate change. While this percentage may seem modest, it is rapidly increasing, and decarbonizing aviation poses significant challenges.
Efforts are underway to develop electric planes, with a Cotswolds-based company pledging hydrogen-electric powered flights for twelve passengers by 2026. However, transitioning the entire aviation industry to these new technologies will likely take years, possibly decades.
In the meantime, there’s a global race to discover environmentally friendly methods of producing kerosene without relying on fossil fuels, as the quest for greener alternatives intensifies.
In Gloucestershire, Mr Hygate initiated the conversion of rapeseed oil into ‘bio-diesel’ for automobiles and trucks two decades ago on a small farm. Through his company, Green Fuels, he currently markets equipment designed for the transformation of cooking oil into biodiesel, with a clientele spanning the globe.
Mr. Hygate then set out to create environmentally friendly jet fuel. A multitude of experiments were carried out using a variety of sources, such as leftover agricultural residue, wasted food, and waste oils. Exploring the use of human waste was one noteworthy experimental direction.
He collaborated with Dr. Sergio Lima, a chemist from Imperial College in London. They collaborated to create a method that turns waste into energy. What they refer to as “bio-crude” is first produced. It appears gloopy, thick, and black like oil. Most notably, according to the BBC, it behaves chemically like crude oil.
Dr Lima, who is also the research director at Firefly Green Fuels, said, “What we are producing here is a fuel which is net zero.”
When Dr Lima first saw the results, he was thrilled.
“This is so exciting because it was produced from a sustainable feedstock, to which all of us are contributing.”
The bio-kerosene is now being tested independently at the DLR Institute of Combustion Technology at the German Aerospace Center, working with Washington State University.
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