Zero’s Techniques Aim to Produce Fuel from Air and Water

Boeing has announced a sustainable aviation fuel effort in conjunction with Zero Petroleum of the United Kingdom that will one day produce workable jet fuel from "air and water".

Despite the core idea seeming a little out-there, Boeing says Zero's technology can pull it off. "The hydrocarbon fuel obtains carbon from direct air capture and hydrogen from water electrolysis. This Power-to-Liquid process has the potential to significantly reduce emissions across the lifecycle, provided there is an abundance of renewable electricity."

Under the deal, Boeing will "jointly establish a testing program for Zero’s SAF at the University of Sheffield’s Energy Innovation Centre and its SAF research facility." The manufacturer was a founding member of the Center, allowing it to easily integrate the new project. If anyone knows the appropriate fuel requirements of modern aircraft, it's the manufacturers themselves.

“SAF is our industry’s biggest lever in reducing emissions today and into the future, but we need more of it now to enable those reductions,” said Sheila Remes, Boeing vice president of Environmental Sustainability. “Working with innovators around the world such as Zero is crucial as we collaborate to develop new, sustainable pathways to produce and scale-up SAF.”

“The aviation industry needs to move quickly to meet upcoming mandates for de-fossilization and synthetic fuels provide the only fully scalable solution,” said Paddy Lowe, CEO of Zero. “We have already developed and tested our 100% drop-in synthetic jet fuel and collaborating with Boeing will now enable us to accelerate the qualification process and put us on course for commercial delivery by 2026. Our collaboration with Boeing sets an industry precedent for the recognition and support for synthetic fuels in the global pivot to sustainable solutions.”

FMI: www.boeing.com