Sustainable fuel plan for BA

Powering a future fleet with sustainable jet fuel made from rubbish has moved a step closer for British Airways after plans were submitted to develop Europe’s first plant to convert household and commercial solid waste.

Altalto Immingham, a subsidiary of renewable fuels company Velocys and a collaboration with British Airways and Shell, has submitted a planning application for a site in northeast Lincolnshire near the Humber Estuary.

The proposed state-of-the-art plant would take more than half a million tonnes each year of non-recyclable matter destined for landfill or incineration such as food packaging, nappies and takeaway coffee cups.

Officials say the technology, built by Velocys, will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70% for every tonne of sustainable jet fuel that replaces a tonne of conventional fossil fuel – equivalent to taking up to 40,000 cars a year off the road.

BA will buy the fuel produced in what it says is an important step in the reduction of the airline’s carbon emissions towards the industry targets of carbon-neutral growth from 2020 and a 50% reduction by 2050 from 2005 levels.

Chairman and CEO Alex Cruz said: “The submission of the planning application marks a major milestone and we are delighted with progress being made. Sustainable fuels can be a game changer for aviation.”

www.britishairways.com

www.velocys.com

www.altalto.com

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All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum

Keith Wallis, Faversham

Let’s hope this project takes flight, unlike the plan for an earlier plant BA was involved in, which stalled on the ground at Thurrock