Epstein, C. (2019). Sustainable Aviation Fuel Finally Starting To Take Off. Retrieved 18
November 2019, from https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation
/2019-10-20/sustainable-aviation-fuel-finally-starting-take
A sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) was displayed at Van Nuys Airport (VNY) on a trial basis for aviation businesses. The biofuel was supplied by the companies World Energy and Gevo, and was generally well-received. They brought a blend of 14000 gallons of fuel and put it through all the pumps and planes to show that it cooperated with all the current technology currently used. When tested in a plane, it was said to have better freeze-point qualities, more energy density, and being a better fuel than traditional jet fuels.
This is also an incredibly promising biofuel because it is the first one that I have seen that has been tested and liked by businesses. Hopefully the costs are not revealed to be too much, but if this works, it would be a massive step for the world. Planes contribute a massive amount to greenhouse gas emissions and take a lot of our oil stores, so to burn biofuels would most likely produce fewer emissions and would be much more sustainable. This relates to environmental science as it combines the economics of business to the environmental sustainability impact of burning biofuels instead of traditional gasoline.
That’s really neat! I agree with your analysis; cutting down plane emissions would have a pretty substantial effect on the environment, as they are polluting so much currently. I would like to know, though: What exactly is the new, eco-friendly fuel made of? How much does it differ from traditional plane fuel?
Currently, I don’t have extensive knowledge about biofuel production and sustainability, but this sounds like a great step for our industrial society. If biofuel was increasingly incorporated into commercial flight, we could greatly reduce our fossil fuel consumption. However, I wonder how efficient the production of biofuel would be on a magnified scale?