In the UK, AZO Cleantech reported that a new research published in Nature Sustainability highlights a fresh opportunity to expand SAF production: turning municipal solid waste into jet fuel.
The study shows this widely available, low-emission resource could help close the supply gap in a practical and affordable way, according to the report.
Led by researchers from Tsinghua University and the Harvard-China Project on Energy, Economy, and Environment, the study evaluated how municipal solid waste (MSW) can be converted into jet fuel using industrial-scale gasification and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.
A life cycle analysis found that MSW-based jet fuel could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80–90 % compared to conventional fossil-based jet fuel.
The main technical challenge, researchers noted, lies in scaling up gasification systems for widespread use.
“Unlike road transport, which is quickly shifting toward electrification, there’s no silver-bullet solution for achieving carbon-neutral aviation. Turning everyday trash into jet fuel could be an innovative but major near-term step toward cleaner aviation. By converting municipal waste into low-carbon jet fuel that already works in today’s engines, we can start cutting emissions immediately, without waiting for future technology,” said Jingran Zhang, study first author and postdoctoral fellow, Harvard-China Project, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
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