Britain is to provide £165mln worth of funding for five sustainable aviation projects aiming to convert household waste into fuel capable of powering aircrafts.
The five Northern-based projects will look to create fuel using household waste, steel mill off-gases, carbon capture and from hydrogen, aided by the government’s Advanced Fuel Fund.
Sustainable aircraft fuel (SAF) produces 70% fewer emissions than conventional jet fuel, the government said, with the five projects targeted to reduce carbon emissions from flights by 200,000 tonnes each year.
Sustainable fuel can be blended up to 50% with conventional fuel without requiring changes to aircraft or infrastructure.
“Using waste or by-products to refuel airliners sounds like a flight of fancy, but thanks to £165mln of government funding it’s going to help us make guilt-free flying a reality,” said Transport Secretary Mark Harper.
A government mandate is for aviation fuel includes at least a 10% blend in the UK by 2030.
Last week, the government announced that Virgin Atlantic would carry out the first net-zero transatlantic flight in 2023, powered by Roll-Royce Trent 1000 engines.
Rolls-Royce is also developing its ‘Ultrafan’ engine, which will run solely on SAF, and could be introduced by 2030.