There’s Brass from Muck for British Airways
How do you convert 500,000 tonnes of waste into 16 million gallons of green jet fuel every year and effectively take 48,000 cars off the road?
Simple, you get the Solena Group to help you and this is exactly what British Airways has done in order to do its bit for the environment.
British Airways has teamed up with the Solena Group to build the first sustainable jet-fuel plant in Europe which will be used to power its aircraft from 2014.
The process basically provides lifecycle greenhouse gas savings of around 95% when compared to fossil-fuel derived jet kerosene.
The new plant which is likely to be built in East London takes waste materials which would usually go into landfill sites and converts it into aviation fuel.
And the 16 million gallons of fuel is equivalent to making all of the airlines flights from London City Airport carbon-neutral and is also equal to taking 48,000 cars off the road every year.
Solena Group Inc is a world leader in renewable energy systems and from its headquarters in Washington DC, it partners companies throughout the world to produce bio-energy and bio-fuel solutions. And not only will the plant produce airline fuel, it will also generate some 20 mega watts of electricity.
Solena will build and operate the plant and British Airways has agreed to buy the bio-fuel product. Some four sites are being considered in the east of London and its expected to create some 1,200 new jobs.
The bosses are as-one as to the merits of the project, with
Willie Walsh, British Airways’ chief executive, leading the way:
“This unique partnership with Solena will pave the way for realising our ambitious goal of reducing net carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2050. We believe it will lead to the production of a real sustainable alternative to jet kerosene.”
Next up was Dr Robert Do, chairman and chief executive of the Solena Group who said:
“The Solena - British Airways BioJetFuel project will efficiently convert biomass into clean renewable fuels and electricity and is completely carbon neutral. The plant will be a state-of-the-art renewable fuel manufacturing facility, distinct from a standard waste to energy incinerator facility. It will not produce any polluting emissions or undesirable by-products.”
Not to be out-done in the applause, The Mayor of London Boris Johnson, said:
“I welcome this fantastic new ‘carbon lite’ fuel production facility in London. City Hall has been working with British Airways and Solena to drive this project forward to help untap the massive potential to generate cleaner, less polluting energy from waste, otherwise destined for landfill.”
So next time you take of in a British Airways jet, just think for a minute what might be powering it in the future: the waste of all those Londoners!
Tags: British Airways
