Hunter, K., & Mehta, G. (2024, January 26). World’s first sustainable jet fuel plant opens in Georgia. What it means for climate change. Macon Telegraph. https://www.macon.com/news/environment/article284641210.html

A company called LanzaJet has announced that they have a method and a facility for making sustainable aviation fuel. They are using ethanol as well as carbon that has already been “in circulation” to create the first sustainable aviation fuel. The Biden administration has issued a mandate to be 100% sustainable by 2050 and according to LanzaJet, this method of using corn alcohol (ethanol) is likely the only way to achieve the goal. The aviation industry releases millions of tons of C02 into the atmosphere each year, and all of its fuel is currently non sustainable and is mostly from fossil fuels. In addition to using alcohol to create the jet fuel, they are also removing the elements that lead to soot particles in the air, which will be good for the air we breathe.

 

This technology seems really promising. It doesn’t reduce the emissions of planes exactly, but it allows them to run on alcohol and not fossil fuels. I think the engines can already run on high octane ethanol, but there isn’t enough in the world to supply the aviation industry. Billions of gallons a year will be needed, and this technology is the first plant that will make sustainable aviation fuel. It shows you that companies really are trying to make sustainable solutions and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and at the same time they can make money doing it. That’s a good thing because capitalism can drive a lot of innovation.