Cooking oil is fuel for a plane flying between London and New York

Published in: 29/11/2023 – 18:08

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Treated esters and fatty acids extracted from used cooking oil make up 88 percent of the fuel used on the flight.

The plane took off from London Heathrow Airport across the Atlantic Ocean to the US state of New York. Airlines are pinning their hopes on sustainable fuel to reduce net emissions compared to the use of traditional fuel, as they are trying to reduce dependence on carbon components before developing new options that operate on electricity and hydrogen.

British Transport Minister Mark Harper, one of those on board, said: “The flight, powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel, shows how we can decarbonize transport now and in the future, reduce emissions by 70%, and inspire us to find other solutions.”

But although the idea seems very successful, the cost of preparing such fuel may make the producing companies reconsider their calculations.

Sustainable fuel is currently manufactured only in small quantities, as its cost is between 3 and 5 times the cost of regular aviation fuel, so the British government does not favor using it to operate aircraft.

There are planned to be five commercial stations producing sustainable jet fuel in the UK by 2025.