Jet Zero has launched a £15 million competition to reduce emissions by creating aviation fuel from household waste.
The “Green Fuels, Green Skies” competition has been launched to turn materials such as everyday waste into sustainable aviation fuel. The competition is part of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan which will support UK companies pioneer new technologies to convert household rubbish, waste wood, flue gases and even excess electricity into sustainable aviation fuel.
Offering emissions savings of over 70 per cent compared to conventional jet fuel, the projects will help put flying onto a more sustainable path while helping to create up to 11,500 jobs over the coming decades.
First-of-a-kind production plants in UK
Companies will be able to bid for a share of £15 million to kick start the development of first-of-a-kind production plants in the UK to produce these fuels at scale.
The competition has been lanched as the Government’s second Jet Zero Council meeting is attended by new CEO Emma Gilthorpe, Chief Operating Officer at Heathrow. Gilthorpe will promote the vision and increase its reach with key stakeholders across the sector helping drive forward decarbonisation of aviation.
The roster of industry and environmental experts have been joined by new additions from the RAF and Civil Aviation Authority, bringing knowledge and experience to deliver clean growth in the sector.
New members being recruited to Jet Zero council
Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps said: “As the aviation sector emerges out of the pandemic and looks towards recovery over the coming months, we must put our environmental commitments at the centre of everything we do – so not only do we build back better, we also build back greener.”
“That’s why we’re stepping up our work on the Council, recruiting new members and launching pioneering efforts to ensure that we continue to lead the world by example and deliver on our ambitious net zero targets.”
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng added: “Today’s meeting of the Jet Zero Council demonstrates the vital collaboration between government and industry that will make zero-emission flights a reality.
“Britain’s aerospace sector is at the centre of our plans to build back greener from the pandemic. We are committed to supporting its recovery and investing in green tech to take us closer to zero carbon take off.”
Electric and hybrid aircraft to use regional routes
Through the Future Flight Challenge, the Government has committed £125 million of funding over four years matched by £175m from industry to develop greener ways to fly, such as all-electric aircraft and deliveries by drone, by advancing electric and autonomous flight technologies. Just this week, Project 2ZERO announced plans to use their share of £2.4 million through this fund to demonstrate flights of six and nineteen seat hybrid-electric planes.
The project will demonstrate the use of electric and hybrid aircraft on regional routes showing the potential to decarbonise aviation whilst supporting regional connectivity.
The Government statement added that it had put in place one of the most comprehensive packages of business support in the world and had pledged around £7bn to the aviation sector since the start of the pandemic.
