The futuristic plane that flew from London to New York with fuel made from used cooking oils and animal fats

Journey across the Atlantic Ocean It departed on Tuesday on its maiden London-New York route, following the tradition of connecting the two sides of the Atlantic using fuel 100% sustainable.

The English company Virgin Atlantic was responsible for launching the Boeing 787 into the air, which it confirmed used “sustainable aviation fuel” (SAF, in English), an alternative to fossil-derived jet fuel. However, its critics claim that using SAF would do little to reduce aviation’s climate impact.

In 2008, Virgin Atlantic and aircraft manufacturer Boeing completed the Sudanese Air Force’s first commercial test flight of a 747; However, they have only now been able to complete the project called Flight 100.

Without specifying the flight number or details about it, the company owned by English business tycoon Richard Branson confirmed that the ship left Heathrow Airport in London to JFK Airport in New York.

The company said that the idea is to demonstrate the capabilities of the Sudanese Armed Forces Safe alternative of fossil fuels and is produced mainly from used cooking oils and animal fats.

The SAF used by Virgin Atalntic is made from waste products and is a unique double blend; 88% Haifa (esters and hydrolyzed fatty acids) from remaining fats and 12% K.S.C (synthetic aromatic kerosene), which is made from plant sugars; The rest comes from proteins, oils and plant fibers.

“While other technologies, such as electricity and hydrogen, are still decades away, SAF can be used now“They said.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Virgin Atlantic stressed that the SAF “is the only viable medium-term solution to decarbonise long-haul aviation.”

Currently, commercial aviation is produced around 2.5% of global carbon emissions It faces a more difficult path to decarbonisation than other sectors.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) confirms on its website, in a section dedicated to the Sudanese Armed Forces, that it expects that by 2050, this type of biofuel will constitute 65% of the biofuel used in commercial aviation.

During flight, SAF burns like regular jet fuel and produces the same amount of emissions. However, they have a smaller carbon footprint, because they are generally made from plants that absorbed carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere when they were alive.

However, critics said that the production, processing and transportation of biofuels They emit greenhouse gases.

As stated on the network CNN Kat Hewitt, policy director at the Aviation Environment Federation, a UK non-profit organization that monitors the environmental impact of aviation, said: “Flight 100” It’s more than a trick What a game changer.”

“The 100% alternative fuel journey will not change the fact that 99.9% of jet fuel is fossil fuel, and that there is little choice of feedstock that can be scaled sustainably,” he said.

Hewitt added that while proponents argue that using plant-based fuels offsets aircraft exhaust emissions, if the fuel were made from waste products, the carbon dioxide would be captured anyway, “so we’re not convinced that it really is.” There is carbon reduction associated with this fuel.

Virgin Atlantic wasn’t the only one developing the fuel. For a full year, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Imperial College London, the University of Sheffield, ICF and the Rocky Mountain Institute, in partnership with the UK Department for Transport, have collaborated to achieve this milestone.

“Flight100 proves that aviation fuel is sustainable,” said Shay Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic It can be used as a safe alternative Directly from fossil aviation fuel, it is the only viable solution to decarbonize long-haul aviation.

“It took radical collaboration to get here, and we are proud to have reached this important milestone, but we must do more,” Weiss added.

For his part, Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic, emphasized that “the world will always assume that something cannot be done until you do it. The spirit of innovation is to go out and try to show that we can do things better for the benefit of everyone.