Waste not, want not
Biofuel does not always come from crops. In innovative projects that solve several problems at once, British Airways and other airlines have formed relationships with a company which will produce large amounts of aviation biofuel by processing municipal waste – reducing the industry’s dependence on fossil fuels and at the same time reducing the amount of waste in landfills.
The British Airways and Solena partnership was formed in 2009, when the two companies agreed to work together to develop a unique project for London. Solena, a renewable energy technology company based in Washington DC offered a pathway to sustainable aviation fuels by converting waste biomass into fuels, renewable energy and heat. Although at the time, many biofuel demonstration flight trials had taken place, a full commercial-scale facility for renewable jet fuel had not been constructed. British Airways believes that sustainable fuels offer a unique opportunity for aviation to decarbonise over the short-medium term.
The consumption of jet fuel represents 99% of British Airways’ carbon footprint and while the airline continues to implement sustainable practices in other aspects of its business, a main focus now is on the jet fuel that powers aircraft and emits large volumes of greenhouse gases. This is the area for change that offers both the biggest opportunity and challenge. British Airways has an ambitious target to reduce net carbon dioxide emissions from its business by 50% by 2050. It is hoped that renewable sustainable fuels will help to achieve this goal.
The potential for releasing the energy locked up in the UK’s waste has been a priority for some time. The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has a waste strategy for England which says: “recovering energy from waste which cannot sensibly be recycled is an essential component of a well-balanced energy policy and… [DEFRA] expects energy from waste to account for 25% of municipal waste by 2020/21.”
Waste is a significant problem for London, where almost half the city’s four million tonnes of municipal waste is sent to landfill, often transported long distances to the disposal site. The Greater London Authority sees great potential in recovering energy from waste and the Mayor proposes a zero waste to landfill target of 2025.
The technology
Solena’s patented plasma technology is able to convert all forms of biomass into clean renewable energy. Operating at very high temperatures, the system can convert virtually any type of organic material, including waste (e.g. food waste from households and businesses) agricultural and forestry residues, into energy. The technology is “fuel flexible” so as a thermal conversion platform it can convert low-value hydrocarbon-bearing biomass into a renewable biosynthetic gas (or “BioSynGas”). Planned capacity for the plant is 500,000 tonnes per year.
Linked to a Fischer-Tropsch unit, the BioSynGas is then converted into biofuels to produce 1170 barrels of aviation biofuel and 630 barrels of bionaphtha per day. Using GE power generation systems, the Solena Plant will produce 20 MW net of green renewable power, which can be sold to the local electricity supply grid.
Excess steam may be produced and utilised in a district heating system. Thus, the plant can benefit its neighbours and have a major effect on CO2 and greenhouse gas reduction.
The process generates no harmful pollution or toxic ash. The only waste by-product is an inert glass-like material, which is an ideal alternative building aggregate, thus reducing the reliance on natural sand and gravel – one of the globe’s natural depleting mineral assets.
What makes this project different?
A number of energy-from-waste projects are being developed in the UK at the moment. This one is different for a number of reasons:
- It is not a conventional waste to energy facility, a chemical plant or a refinery. It is a clean renewable next generation aviation biofuel production facility processed from waste and biomass waste.
- The fuel will have low lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions – up to 90% less than the emissions associated with fossil kerosene.
- The end fuel will be cleaner burning than kerosene (zero sulphur and low aromatic content produce less soot and fine particulates), providing air quality benefits when the fuel is burned.
- A zero waste philosophy means that all materials are recycled, conversion of carbon-based materials is in excess of 99%, there is no bottom ash or fly ash and non-carbon based materials are converted into vitrified slag for use in the construction industry.
- Gasification and Fisher-Tropsch technologies are proven processes being employed worldwide. Solena is developing similar plants in the US States, as well as in other countries. Importantly, the Solena / British Airways partnership is providing the first such plant to produce biofuel in Europe.
- British Airways will directly use the aviation biofuel and is moving into a contractual relationship to purchase the fuels produced.
- It will be a world-class development and the first of its kind in Europe. The end product is a real alternative to fossil fuel for the aviation industry and thus has a long-term viable future.
- Innovative design and technology means the plant will be energy self-sufficient and sustainable in its own right.
The next steps
The project partners plan to locate the facility in East London, close to the source of the waste and close to British Airway’s operations in the South East (the nearest airport is London City, from which British Airways runs both short- and long-haul services). During construction, the project will generate around 1000 jobs in London. From 2014, when the plant is in full operation, 200 permanent jobs will be created. This will be the first development of its kind in Europe, and should provide a proven pathway for a number of other global cities to generate valuable resources from waste.
At the time of this publication going to press, Solena had already signed biofuel plant initiatives with British Airways, Qantas and Alitalia airlines.
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