Virgin Atlantic and Lanzatech to develop world’s first low-carbon aviation fuel

Virgin Atlantic and its partner LanzaTech will use Swedish biofuels technology to develop the world’s first low-carbon aviation fuel that will have only half the carbon footprint of the current standard fuel alternative. The new aviation fuel will be developed in India and will involve capturing, fermenting and chemically converting waste gases from industrial steel production into jet fuel. LanzaTech said that this process can be used in 65% of the world’s steel mills, which means that the fuel can be rolled out for worldwide commercial use. “This technology will enable airlines to dramatically reduce their carbon footprint by reusing gases that would otherwise have been emitted directly into the atmosphere. It promotes sustainable industrial growth, as the process enables manufacturing plants to recycle their waste carbon emissions,” said Jennifer Holmgren, chief executive of LanzaTech. (November 7, 2011)