In a new research, researchers have discovered a method to transform human waste into jet fuel.
Firefly Green Fuels, based in Gloucestershire, South West England, claims that its biofuel is just like jet fuel but with a ninety-two percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) production. Given that air travel contributes to two percent of global CO2 emissions, this innovation could significantly reduce pollution from a major source.
James Hygate, the CEO of Firefly Green Fuels, explains that the goal was to discover a readily available and inexpensive resource. He pointed out that waste fits the bill perfectly because, as he puts it, “poo is abundant.”
Hydrothermal liquefaction method to make fuel from waste
To make fuel from human waste, Firefly uses a technique known as hydrothermal liquefaction. This process involves applying both high pressure and heat to transform the last stage of treated sewage, known as ‘biosolids,’ into carbon-rich biochar and crude oil.
The resulting ‘bio-crude’ strongly resembles oil and shares similar chemical properties. This similarity allows scientists to extract kerosene from the fuel through a method called fractional distillation.
In this process, the oil is evaporated, and a specific fraction is collected as it condenses at a particular temperature.
Preliminary assessments of the extracted kerosene reveal a chemical composition similar to that of A1 fossil jet fuel. Currently, the bio-kerosene is undergoing testing at the DLR Institute of Combustion Technology at the German Aerospace Center.
A fossil-free fuel with no crude oil
Hygate refers to his biofuel as “fossil-free fuel” because, unlike regular jet fuel, it doesn’t originate from crude oil. Even though carbon dioxide (CO2) is still released during combustion, that carbon was initially absorbed by the plants used in our food.
This indicates that biofuels result in a lower overall amount of carbon emissions. Hygate emphasized the significant impact by explaining that while energy is utilized in production, considering the entire life cycle of the fuel, a ninety percent reduction is truly remarkable.
Unlike the grains and plant oils used in other biofuels, poo is naturally abundant and continuously produced by humans. It is a waste we can’t avoid.
In the UK, the sewage system handles a staggering eleven billion liters of wastewater every day, requiring treatment at approximately nine thousand sewage treatment facilities.
Yet, in the UK, there’s an excess of sewage beyond the capacity of the infrastructure, resulting in millions of tons being discharged into rivers and the sea. In speaking with MailOnline, Hygate said converting sewage into fuel provides a positive alternative to other disposal methods.