First airplane flies only on fat and sugar
4031 kilometers - only with used fat and sugar!
On Tuesday, a Boeing 787-9 "Dreamliner" of the airline "Virgin Atlantic" flew across the Atlantic. From London Heathrow to John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.
On board: British Transport Minister Mark Harper, billionaire and Virgin founder Richard Branson. In the tank: supposedly 100 percent sustainable fuel.
▶︎ The VS 100 flight did not burn fossil fuels such as kerosene - but "Sustainable Aviation Fuel" (SAF). This consists of 88 percent used grease and used oil from the food industry - and 12 percent artificial kerosene. According to turbine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, this is obtained from plant-based sugar.
According to the Ministry of Transport, this was the world's first flight by a passenger plane using sustainable fuel. The Ministry: "The future of flying is beginning."
The EU wants to reduce the aviation sector's carbon footprint. The proportion of sustainable aviation fuels should be 6 percent by 2030 and 70 percent by 2050.
According to estimates, aviation accounts for around 2.5 percent of global CO₂ emissions per year - more than Germany, which is one of the ten largest CO₂ emitters in the world.
In addition to more efficient engines and offsetting measures, the industry is therefore focusing on SAF. The term covers everything that is not produced from fossil fuels and is sustainable. For example, SAF can be produced from frying fat, slaughterhouse and fish waste as well as vegetable oils and their residues.
The Aviation Environment Federation initiative criticized a statement by Transport Minister Harper that the technology would "make guilt-free flying a reality" as a bad joke. SAF accounts for around 0.1 percent of aviation fuel worldwide and it will be difficult to increase its share to a sustainable level.
- The Boeing 787-9 "Dreamliner" used for the flight is often associated with advanced technology and fuel efficiency, especially when it comes to reducing carbon emissions.
- This particular Boeing 787-9 flight was powered by a blend of used cooking oil and synthetic kerosene, instead of traditional fossil fuels like gasoline.
- Airplanes like Virgin Air's Boeing 787-9 are contributing to a shift in the aviation industry, as countries like the USA and Great Britain aim to reduce their carbon footprint by increasing the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).
- The Munich regional news reported that the use of SAF in commercial aviation is gaining momentum, with the EU targeting a 6% SAF usage by 2030 and 70% by 2050.
- Airplanes utilizing SAFs would reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, such as kerosene, which contributes to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.
- On the positive side, Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Air, was on board the historic flight, showing his support for sustainable alternatives to gasoline used by airplanes.
- In fact, the next time you plan a trip to New York from London, you might be flying in a Boeing 787-9 that runs on sustainable aviation fuels, contributing to a greener aviation industry.
