To limit the pollution emitted by aircraft engines, scientists have developed a fuel made from a type of mustard plant. This could reduce the emissions emitted by aircraft engines by 68%, say researchers.
Led by scientist Puneet Dwivedi of the University of Georgia in the US, the research estimated the break-even point and life-cycle carbon emissions of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) derived from oil obtained from Brassica carinata, an non-edible oilseed plant, also known as Abyssinian mustard.
SAF can be derived from vegetable oils, cooking oils, animal fats, sugars and starches, some algae, or lignocellulose from wood residues and some inedible plants.
"Carinata-based SAF could help reduce the carbon footprint of the aviation sector while creating economic opportunities and improving the flow of ecosystem services across the southern region," explains Puneet Dwivedi, whose findings are published in the journalGCB Bioenergy.
The price of producing SAF from carinata varies from $0.12 per liter at the low end to $1.28 per liter, depending on existing economic and market incentives.
According to Puneet Dwivedi, this type of SAF could reduce carbon emissions from the aviation sector by up to 68%. Abyssinian mustard would also have the advantage of being able to be grown year-round in some areas of the southern US with mild winters, such as Georgia. Moreover, "growing carinata provides all the cover-crop benefits related to water quality, soil health, biodiversity and pollination," the scientist adds.
The US aims to reduce aviation emissions by 20% by 2030
All that remains is to secure the local infrastructure for seed crushing and oil processing to make the SAF. The challenge includes modeling the economic and environmental feasibility of producing and consuming carinata-based SAF in Georgia, Alabama and Florida from a supply chain perspective.
"Our results would be especially relevant to the state of Georgia, which is the sixth-largest consumer of conventional aviation fuel in the country, hosts the busiest airport in the world, and is home to Delta, a leading global airline company. ... Carinata has the potential to be a win-win situation for our rural areas, the aviation industry, and most importantly, climate change," concludes Puneet Dwivedi.
Last September, Joe Biden proposed a sustainable fuels tax credit as part of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge, which brings together federal agencies to increase SAF production nationwide. The US president has set a goal of reducing aviation emissions by 20% by 2030 and achieving a completely carbon-free aviation sector by 2050.
