How the bacteria in an all-sugar diet could bring the aviation industry closer to net-zero

July 6, 2022
The ‘streptomyces’ bacteria creates an ‘explosive’ molecule when it eats sugar and researchers claim it could be used as alternative plane fuel, Charlotte Elton reports for Euro News.

LYON, France - Forget fossil fuel travel - airplanes could one day run on sugar-munching bacteria. Conventional jet fuel is created by burning fossil fuels like oil and gas, generating a mammoth carbon footprint. But a tiny common soil bacteria could change all this, Charlotte Elton reports for Euro News.

Continue reading original article.

The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:

6 July 2022 - “If we can make this fuel with biology there’s no excuses to make it with oil,” says Pablo Cruz-Morales, a microbiologist at the Technical University of Denmark. “It opens the possibility of making it sustainable.”

According to Elton's piece for Euro News, aviation accounts for approximately 2% of global carbon emissions. that said, carbon dioxide is only a portion of the overall warming effect aircraft produce, including nitrogen oxides and contrails.

Related: Etihad Airways' sustainable flight reduces carbon emissions by 72%

Related: Study highlights sustainable role for VTOL aircraft

Related: In-flight 100% sustainable-fuels emissions study of passenger jet shows early promise

Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Military Aerospace, create an account today!