New research suggests biofuel made from oil mallee trees could be a viable source of jet fuel, offering a glimmer of hope for growers in Western Australia who planted the trees in large numbers in the past two decades.
A two-year study published by the Future Farm Industries Cooperative Centre (CRC) concludes that jet fuel made from the mallee tree will meet strict sustainability criteria determined by the Roundtable for Sustainable Biomaterials and will be suitable for commercial flights according to the American Society for Testing and Materials.
The sustainability and lifecycle analysis covered the growing and harvesting of the mallee tree and its conversion into aviation grade biofuel via the pyrolysis thermal and upgrading processes developed by Dynamotive and IFP Energies nouvelles.
“What this report demonstrates is that mallees can provide a future economic benefit to farmers and regional communities, with a viable industry possible by 2021 said Dr John McGrath, CRC Research Director.
The study shows that if all flights departing Perth airport were powered by locally sourced mallee biofuel, that emissions could be reduced by at least 40%.
Image credit: Airbus
