Aviation sector looks to produce jet fuel from atmospheric CO2

CHENNAI: As the world is moving towards net-zero to cut down carbon emission and mitigate global warming, aviation industry, which emits a considerable amount of carbon dioxide (CO2), is eyeing to produce jet fuel from atmospheric CO2 (a greenhouse gas that absorbs and radiates heat).

Speaking in a conference recently conducted by Auroville Consulting, Jonathan Sumner, Chief Strategy Officer of JetSetGo, a private jet airline, warned that usage of jet fuel will double by 2050 and even treble by 2070.

“Only way to prevent that is to cut air traffic and moving towards renewable energy sources. Only 1% of global population uses private jets, but these emit 50% of aviation emission,” he said.

He added that one aircraft would emit 2 tonnes of CO2 in an hour of flying. Each private jet would emit 5-14% higher CO2 than any commercial aircraft.

“Airlines are looking into jet fuel from atmospheric CO2 to offset emission. Direct Air Capture, a new technology, is under improvement to capture it from air and process it into a fuel that can be used in aviation industry,” explained Sumner. “The technology will not only cut the usage of fossil fuel in aviation but also reduce CO2 in the atmosphere.” It may be noted that combustion of 1 kg of jet fuel will produce 3.6 kg of CO2.

Sumner also pointed to a private company in England that’s in the process of converting CO2 into jet fuel. “My firm is ready to use it to cut emissions from its aircraft. Once the CO2 to jet fuel is adopted, this would aid in carbon sequestration efforts,” he opined.

As per conventional methods, carbon sequestration is achieved through increasing forest cover, preserving ocean biodiversity, enriching soil and other methods. In 2019, aviation industry used 359 billion litres of jet fuel.