The UK government has
launched a competition to support the development of facilities capable of
turning everyday waste into jet fuel.
The Green Fuel, Green Skies
competition will support UK companies as they pioneer new
technologies to convert household rubbish, waste wood and excess electricity
into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The government says
SAF sector production in the UK will help create up to 11,500 jobs
over the coming decades.
Companies will be
able to bid for a share of £15 million during the 2021/22 financial year to
kickstart the development of first-of-a-kind production plants in the UK to
produce these fuels at scale. Applications close at the end of May.
The announcement
came as the government’s Jet Zero Council held its second meeting, attended by
its new CEO, Emma Gilthorpe, chief operating officer at Heathrow Airport. Experts
from the RAF and Civil Aviation Authority have also joined the council.
Transport
Secretary, Grant Shapps, said: “As the aviation sector emerges out of the
pandemic and looks towards recovery over the coming months, we must put our
environmental commitments at the centre of everything we do – so not only do we
build back better, we also build back greener."
The funding is in
addition to £300 million assigned to the Future Flight Challenge, which is looking at developing
greener ways to fly, including all-electric aircraft and deliveries by drone. This week, Project 2ZERO announced
plans to use its share of £2.4 million through this fund to demonstrate flights
of 6- and 19-seat hybrid-electric planes.
Commenting on the competition, Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, said: “Sustainable aviation fuels are proof today that low emission air travel is possible, and the Green Fuels, Green Skies competition is a welcome boost to help deliver the innovative plants that will produce sustainable aviation fuel at scale this decade, fuels which alongside exciting new hydrogen and electric technologies will power UK airlines for decades to come and help deliver the UK aviation industry commitment to net zero carbon."