Researchers at the University of Illinois have successfully converted food waste into sustainable aviation fuel, potentially revolutionizing the industry’s approach to reducing carbon emissions. Their innovative process meets industry standards and promises significant environmental and economic benefits.
Airplane travel continues to grow in popularity, becoming a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions due to the reliance on jet fuel. However, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have unveiled a groundbreaking solution: converting food waste into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
A study published in Nature Communications presents an innovative process that can help the aviation industry achieve its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The research team described the process as transforming food waste into biocrude oil through hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). This biocrude oil is then purified and refined using hydrogen and catalysts to produce aviation fuel.
“HTL basically mimics the natural formation of crude oil in the Earth. It uses high heat and pressure to convert wet biomass into a biocrude oil. The goal of this work is to upgrade that biocrude oil into transportation fuels that can go directly into existing energy infrastructure,” lead author Sabrina Summers, who recently earned a doctoral degree from the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE), said in a news release.
The significance of this breakthrough lies in its versatility and scalability. The process can handle various types of biowaste, including sewage sludge, algal bloom and agricultural residue.
This makes it a promising method for producing renewable jet fuel while addressing global food waste, which accounts for over 30% of food produced annually.
“To meet the aviation industry’s goals to decarbonate jet fuel, we need many different renewable sources, and agriculture is going to play a critical role in terms of providing the feedstocks,” added corresponding author Yuanhui Zhang, an ABE professor.
The study showcases the researchers’ success in converting biocrude oil into jet fuel that meets the stringent standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Federal Aviation Administration.
They identified cobalt molybdenum as the most effective catalyst for refining the biocrude into fuel, passing rigorous Tier Alpha and Beta prescreening tests without requiring any fossil fuel blends.
“Our research helps solve the science and engineering problems, and then the industry can step in. The process can be applied to other types of oils for SAF. It can also replace other materials, such as petroleum-derived compounds for making plastics,” Zhang added. “This has huge potential for business opportunities and economic development.”
The potential environmental benefits are immense. By integrating food waste into a circular economy, this method helps reduce landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions from food decomposition.
Zhang had previously created a Circularity Index that measures circular bioeconomy, and he noted that SAF makes a significant contribution to circularity.
“In a linear economy, we just produce something, use it, and throw it away. In this project, we take the waste and recover the energy and materials to make a usable product,” Zhang concluded. “This fills a missing link in the circular paradigm.”