Airlines and consumers are really feeling the fuel crunch – rising ticket costs, charging for checked bags, and paying for in-flight snacks! Even the X-Prize Foundation is offering $10 million to anyone who can develop a sustainable alternative to jet fuel.
Well, now Swift Enterprises has developed a bio-based aviation fuel made from landfill waste, sorghum, algae and wood chips!
Greener Flying: Garbage to Fuel Planes
Swift Enterprises says the fuel will be cheaper to produce and perform better than current aviation fuels. However, currently, it costs $60/gallon to produce the company’s "Swift Fuel" but Swift Enterprises expects that once it’s in full scale production, the price will drop to about $1.80/gallon - about half that of petroleum-based aviation fuel. Additionally, unlike some other bio-based fuel, the company claims Swift Fuel is 15% more efficient than petroleum.
Swift Fuel is currently in the process of getting approvals from ASTM International, the FAA, and the EPA. If the company does clear all it’s hurdles, it’s impact will be seen as soon as 2010 or 2011.
via Treehugger via Medill News
Plane Image via Ayla87 via stock.xchng
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I wonder, if it went into fullscale production & was successful, how many trees would need to die to supply that.
...just a thought. I think, before we launch into massive 'solutions', we need to be thinking about the ultimate impacts, & talking about them. Same with wind energy. It's an idea I always thought was a natural "of course!" idea, but we find that they are 'natural' meat grinders for birds. ): It's true.
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