" The world’s first net zero transatlantic flight will take off from the UK next year, with Virgin Atlantic set to fly one of its Boeing 787
 aircraft from London to New York using solely sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). "

 

https://www.virgin.com/about-virgin/latest/virgin-atlantic-to-operate-historic-net-zero-transatlantic-flight

"Virgin Atlantic’s flight is expected to be fueled by SAF made primarily from waste oils and fats such as used cooking oil."

Gonna smell like french fries onboard.

Jim

Edited December 17, 20223 yr by jagabom

5 hours ago, jagabom said:

Gonna smell like french fries onboard.

Ah ,but you are forgetting the 787’s non bleed air pressurisation system and its “gaseous odour “ filters.

This whole story certainly smells of something, but it ain’t fries 😉

Sustainable Fuel made from waste oil and other organic matter is something I can get behind as it is practical and is basically a form of recycling.

Good for Virgin Atlantic.

Dave

It's good that the process will use, not just waste vegetable oils and fats, but also "waste, carbon-rich gases that would otherwise go up the chimneys of steel and aluminium mills".

I wonder how much sustainable fuel can be generated annually. Could it be enough to replace 5% of standard aviation fuel? Will it be interchangeable with standard aviation fuel without modification of the engines, so that an aircraft can fly outbound on sustainable fuel and return on standard aviation fuel?

I have found the answers:

"The benefit of this is that the new fuel can be carried in the existing pipes and tankers, and pumped straight into planes. You don’t need to modify the planes,” 

"It’s not yet possible for an aeroplane to fly solely on aviation biofuel. Instead, it has to be blended with conventional fuel. You can have a one-to-one ratio of the biofuel with the conventional jet fuel. This limit arises because aviation fuel needs to contain a small amount of ring-shaped organic molecules called aromatics. “The aviation biofuel doesn’t have any.”

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2181821-how-to-make-jet-fuel-from-used-cooking-oil/ 

 

Edited December 17, 20223 yr by dmwalker

On 12/17/2022 at 10:16 AM, jon b said:

Ah ,but you are forgetting the 787’s non bleed air pressurisation system and its “gaseous odour “ filters.

This whole story certainly smells of something, but it ain’t fries 😉

but just think of all the money its going to save though....

cost cost cost, remember.

1 hour ago, fluffyflops said:

but just think of all the money its going to save though....

"The main barriers to SAF adoption have been high cost and limited availability. SAF is three to five times the price of jet fuel today. That will fall as SAF production rises and incentives for its use arrive."

https://www.flightglobal.com/flight-international/how-sustainable-fuel-will-help-power-aviations-green-revolution/143044.article

"Meeting 2% of annual jet fuel demand from international aviation with SAF could deliver the necessary cost reduction for a self-sustaining aviation biofuel market thereafter. Meeting such a level of demand requires increased HEFA-SPK production capacity. If met entirely by new facilities, approximately 20 refineries would be required. This could entail investment in the region of $10 billion. Although significant, this is relatively small compared to fossil fuel refinery investment of $60 billion in 2017 alone."

https://www.iea.org/commentaries/are-aviation-biofuels-ready-for-take-off 

 

 

The whole focus at VAA over the 5 years has been on saving money. 

This doesn't sound like saving money to me.