Fuel with Less Emissions?

A mustard plant might be a new form of fuel

Lately I have been reading Bill Gates book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and The Breakthroughs We Need, and he always mentions how we have to get to 0 emissions. While I have not finished the book yet, what I have read most recently is about changing what we have that emits green house gasses to get emissions down to 0, both now and in the future. That is when I came across some research that has found a plant-based jet fuel that can reduce emissions by 68%. While it might not be 0, 68% is a good place to be heading to so that we can find other ways to get to 0.

Photo of a Plane Found on a No Copyright page

This research comes from the University of Georgia, with Puneet Dwivedi leading it. Finding that oil from Brassica carinata, a non-edible oilseed crop can create a sustainable aviation fuel. It can replace petroleum-based aviation fuel and is even estimated to break-even price wise. Aviation accounts for about 2.5% of global emissions, while it might not seem like a big number, the goal of reaching 0 includes everything, even traveling. 

This research came out at a good time as recently Joe Biden proposed a sustainable fuel tax credit as part of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge. It requires a 50% reduction in life cycle carbon emissions, which this plant-based fuel does exceedingly. This also comes about with Biden’s goal setting of dropping aviation emissions of 20% by 2030 and achieving 0 by 2050.    

The mustard plant that can become fuel that reduces emissions by 68%

So far, they have focused growing it in the South as winters are not as harsh as other regions. It is grown during the off season, so it will not compete with other food crops or even trigger food vs fuel problems. Growing carinata actually helps with providing all cover-crop benefits that are related to soil health, water quality, biodiversity, and pollination. The only thing that is missing however, is the in infrastructure creating the oil into sustainable aviation fuel from crushing the seeds. 

While it can take some time, it is a step in a direction that can take emissions down. It is also a good step as for it is a win for climate change (a little) and for aviation industry. This is just the beginning of discovering what is out there that can help us reduce our emission and eventually get to 0. What do y’all think about using a mustard plant a fuel?