E-fuels Revolution Takes Flight: The First Airplane to Ever Fly on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel Made From Fat

VS100: First Transatlantic Flight to Use 100% Sustainable Fuel Made From Fat

Just recently, Virgin Airlines Flight VS100 took off. It traveled from Heathrow Airport in London, England to New York City. It was fuelled up and ready to go, but not in the way most of us might imagine.

It was the first plane to ever be fully powered with a tank full of fuel called Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF. This is an emerging, highly sustainable jet fuel. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel that had been used on the transatlantic flight was made entirely from fat, talon, and other waste products.

As it turns out, e-fuels could be the future of aviation.

What is SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel)?

Sustainable Aviation Fuels, or SAF, is produced by blending traditional kerosene with renewable hydrocarbon. It operates just as well as traditional jet fuel but with significantly less pollution. SAF can reduce carbon emissions from airplanes by as much as 80%.

However, SAF is not yet economically sustainable. It costs four times as much as conventional fuel.

How Much Air Pollution Is Caused by Airplanes?

All fuel-burning modes of transportation contribute to air pollution, but Airplanes are very significant.

According to the David Suzuki Foundation, a single flight from Montreal to London emits as much carbon dioxide as heating a home for an entire year. These pollutants are contributing significantly to global warming.

Why is Air Pollution a Problem?

Besides increasing the rate of global warming, air pollution is among the top five leading risk factors for death globally.

The world has a goal to stamp out greenhouse emissions and clean up our air by the year 2050. This vision is commonly called Net Zero.

Another historic agreement was recently reached between nearly 200 participating nations to transition away from fossil fuels. The UN held the COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai in November of 2023. It is supposed to be a giant step forward in the fight against air pollution.

The air industry is ready to do its part too.

How Does CO2 Cause Global Warming?

Carbon dioxide often gets a bad rep. It’s important to understand that CO2 is very important for survival on our planet. The problem comes when there is too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Much of the warmth from the sun passes right through the atmosphere. Some bounce back up and are sent back into space. The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps a certain amount of that heat. This keeps the planet livable with growing plants and water.

But with an excess of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, too much heat is trapped. This is what causes global warming.

Carbon dioxide from airplanes contributes to this global warming effect. A promising sustainable aviation fuel could be the use of electrofules or e-fuels.

What are E-Fuels?

E-fuels, also known as electrofules, are a type of synthetic fuel that is emerging as an alternative to traditional fuels for nuclear energy, heat, or power. Conventional fuels involve burning wood, coal, oil, or natural gas. These are non-renewable resources. Once we’ve used these resources, they are gone forever. E-fuels, on the other hand, are produced with the help of renewable energy sources.

E-fuels are becoming a full-blown industry. Scientists have developed a family of these clean fuels. The list of fuels includes e-hydrogen, e-methane, e-diesel, and others. Electrofuel plants are popping up around the world.

How are E-fuels Made?

E-fuels are made by using renewable sources of energy to extract hydrogen from water using electricity. This hydrogen is then mixed with carbon dioxide to create what is known as electrofules or e-fuels.

Since aviation is a big emitter of carbon dioxide, there has recently been a focus on electrofules for jet planes. One such example is the start-up company, Twelve. In 2024, they expect to start production on their e-fuel which they call E-Jet ®.

Twelve is opening a new plant in Moses Lake, Washington. They are aiming to create e-fuels in a way that is cleaner and less expensive than traditional methods.

How do E-Fuels Work?

E-fuels are earth-friendly and are often referred to as drop-in fuels. This means that no special fuel tanks or other equipment is needed. It can be poured right into existing jet engines. It can even be mixed with existing fuel in any proportional amount.

What makes the VS100 so special is that it was the first flight to ever use 100% sustainable jet fuel. Usually, sustainable fuels are blended with conventional fuel because components of traditional fuels prevent fuel leaks.

Scientists were on board the VS100 flight to track carbon emissions, and no leaks were reported. These sustainable fuels are shown to be very versatile. The hope is that they’ll eventually extend to use in road and marine vehicles if they are shown to reduce air pollution and global warming.

Will Sustainable Fuels Decrease Air Pollution?

There is potential that sustainable fuels can reduce air pollution and global warming, but there are still hurdles in the way. The economic cost and limited availability of sustainable fuels like e-fuels and SAF show that there needs to be more advancements in how these fuels are produced and used.

But there is Always Hope for e-fuels and SAF.

“The world will always assume something can’t be done… until you do it.”

Richard Branson, owner of Virgin Airlines