British Airways has signed up to purchase jet fuel produced from waste material in a ten-year deal worth $500 million in today’s prices.

The fuel will be produced by the GreenSky London initiative with partner Solena, under a facility to convert approximately 500,000 tonnes of waste that would otherwise end up in landfill to low-carbon jet fuel, 50,000 tonnes of biodiesel, bionaphtha and renewable power will be constructed.

The project, which was initiated two and a half years ago, has already signed an option on a site for the facility and is beginning consent work for the site.

Solena Fuels Corporation will provide the high-temperature gasification system that converts waste into synthesis gas (syngas), while Oxford Catalysts Group/Velocys will supply the Fisher-Tropsch reactors and catalyst that turns the syngas into liquid hydrocarbons for use as fuels.

The project will create 1000 jobs during the construction phase and more than 150 positions once the facility is operational by 2015.

“We are delighted that the GreenSky London project is getting ever closer to fruition,” says chief executive of British Airways, Keith Williams. “With world-class technology partners now in place, we are well on our way to making sustainable aviation fuel a reality for British Airways by 2015.”

For further information:
www.britishairways.com/
www.solenafuels.com/

Related stories:
Neste Oil opens first European biofuel-from-waste pilot plant (29-Oct)
Lufthansa and Algae Tec to build biofuel production facility (24-Sept)
BA announces plans for waste-to-biofuel plant in London (16-Feb 2010)

Article source: http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/i/5609/