Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory have developed a technology that converts organic waste streams into sustainable jet fuel (SAF). This new advancement has the potential to reduce carbon emissions from the aviation industry by up to 70% compared to traditional fossil fuels.
The SAF produced uses materials such as biomass and agricultural waste . These wastes undergo an innovative membrane-assisted anaerobic digestion process that converts volatile fatty acids into biofuels. This helps reduce the environmental impact and creates a more economical and efficient solution for the aeronautical sector, a field responsible for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Wastewater turned into jet fuel
Haoran Wu, a postdoctoral researcher at Argonne, highlighted the positive impact of the technology, noting that his team has managed to dramatically reduce the cost of production by using unconventional organic resources, such as wastewater from breweries and dairy farms.
The waste-to-biofuel process , known as MAAD, has been key to this breakthrough. By improving the production of volatile fatty acids, greater efficiency and competitive cost compared to fossil fuel are achieved , paving the way for mass adoption in commercial aviation.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has also supported this project as part of its Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge, with the goal of meeting 100% of commercial aviation fuel demand by 2050.
This breakthrough is just the beginning of a new era in which industrial waste will become a key source for decarbonised aviation, representing a firm step towards a more sustainable future.
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Source: Argonne National Laboratory
Photo: Shutterstock
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