Oil as fuel may soon be replaced by this crop

A cultivar of canola is about to be used to replace petroleum as a jet fuel, potentially reducing emissions by up to 68%.

Aviation is one of the most essential industries in the world, but it is also harmful to the environment due to emissions from fossil fuels derived from petroleum.

However, according to a new study, we can reduce these emissions by up to 68% by switching to sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) derived from plants.

The plant used for fuel extraction here is a plant of the cruciferous family , containing an essential oil, inedible, scientific name is Brassica carinata . It is estimated that using this crop can be significantly more cost-effective than petroleum-based fuels.

Brassica carinata tree. (Image: Wiki).

"SAF can help reduce the carbon footprint of the aviation sector while creating economic opportunities and improving the flow of ecosystem services across the Southern region," said Puneet Dwivedi, Scientist. at the University of Georgia (USA).

They claim to have found a solution to help ensure the supply of raw materials, as well as secure the supply chain to self-produce carinata-based SAF in the southern United States.

According to a report by the Institute for Environmental and Energy Research, about 2.4% of total global carbon dioxide emissions in 2018 were generated by the aviation industry.

A study published earlier this year found that these emissions contribute 3.5% to anthropogenic climate change.

However, challenges surrounding the transition to biofuels, including the potential to replace oil with food crops, are questioned for reasons such as whether enough fuel crops can be grown or not. no, where to plant, how to plant and what to plant.

In addition, it is not certain whether the new method after being applied will actually reduce emissions.

In fact, fuel derived from the Brassica carinata plant is not a completely new idea, it was developed and tested several years ago, but faces many challenges to put into practice.

The proof is that the first jet flight using biofuel extracted from pure carinata was successfully flown in 2012, but at that time the cost of "clean fuel" was much higher than that of jet fuel. normal flight. In addition, not to mention that the US is seriously lacking in infrastructure to convert crops into fuel.

Understanding the challenges mentioned above, scientists at the University of Georgia have focused this time on making the entire construction feasible from farming facilities, infrastructure, to cost. with the hope Hope to provide sufficient information for farmers, investors and policy makers to make appropriate decisions in the near future.