[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/7062\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAeroplanes could cut emissions by flying on waste cooking oil fuel\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAviation accounts for 3% of the EU\u2019s greenhouse gas emissions and it is hoped that using \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/energy\/en\/topics\/renewable-energy\/biofuels\/biofuels-aviation\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Ebiofuels in aeroplanes\u003C\/a\u003E could help to reduce this figure and contribute to the International Air Transport Association\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iata.org\/pressroom\/pr\/Pages\/2009-12-08-01.aspx\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Etarget of halving carbon emissions\u003C\/a\u003E from aviation by 2050 compared to 2005.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow close are we to using sustainable fuels for aviation?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The first time biofuel was used in aviation was in 2008. (It) was the Virgin Atlantic airline, blending 20% of biofuel with conventional fuel. Over the years, we have seen different airlines \u2013 Air New Zealand, KLM \u2013 they have tested the flights using biofuel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The most recent ones are in China. In 2017, China\u2019s Hainan Airlines used waste cooking oil derived biofuel blended with conventional jet fuel and then flew from Beijing to the US. So that was a good demonstration of the use of a sustainable, alternative fuel or biofuel (made from biomass or bio waste). It shows that the progress is there.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is the potential of biofuels to reduce aviation emissions?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The potential is immense. According to a study\u0026nbsp;(the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.easa.europa.eu\/eaer\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EEuropean Aviation Environmental Report 2019\u003C\/a\u003E) biofuels have the potential to reduce emissions by up to 90%. The current production capacity of bio-based aviation fuel in the EU is estimated to be around 2.3 million tonnes per year, which corresponds to about 4% of the conventional fossil-based jet fuel.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u0026#039;I think the waste cooking oil\u0026amp;nbsp;...\u0026amp;nbsp;(has) got really good potential to turn into aviation-grade biofuel.\u0026#039;\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr Chong Cheng Tung, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDo biofuels perform as well as kerosene? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Overall they have seen a positive result from the test flights.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The quality of the biofuel varies depending on the (production) process as well as the feedstock (source). From a lot of research we have seen that the biofuel produced contains oxygen. So the heating value (energy density) is slightly lower compared to conventional jet fuel. But now there is technology to further process that kind of biofuel to make it aviation grade.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Of course, when we talk about the usage of biofuel in aircraft, we are not talking about totally replacing the fuel as what we are using right now. We can do it incrementally. We can start with a blending, for example, 10 or 20%. That would give us a reduction in CO2.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou work on the clean combustion of biofuels. Does this mean that even if you have a clean fuel it could still burn in a bad way?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Yes, that\u2019s right. You\u2019ve got to have the mechanism to burn it cleanly because the biofuel properties will be different compared to conventional fuel, in terms of physical properties as well as chemical properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018(The question is) do I need to modify the engines to burn it more cleanly, or do I need some sort of adaption to the system or modification to the fuel to make them burn cleanly? There is a lot of science and technicalities in terms of the combustion side of aviation. Of course, we try not to modify the engine because ultimately that would be costly and not practical.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We have to do a lot of tests \u2013 combustion tests especially \u2013 to ensure that you really get the emissions reductions that you want and you really get the efficiency that you want. You do not want to have a fuel that has low efficiency, that burns halfway and (induces problem during combustion). Especially in aviation, rigorous testing is absolute because it concerns safety and human life.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Biofuels have the potential to reduce aviation emissions by 90%, according to the European Commission\u2019s Joint Research Centre. Image credit - Pixabay\/RitaE\u0022 height=\u00221280\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/munich_airport.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022Biofuels have the potential to reduce aviation emissions by 90%, according to the European Commission\u2019s Joint Research Centre. Image credit - Pixabay\/RitaE\u0022 width=\u00221920\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EBiofuels have the potential to reduce aviation emissions by 90%, according to the European Commission\u2019s Joint Research Centre. Image credit - Pixabay\/RitaE\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThere are lots of different sources of biofuel. Are they all being considered or is there a front-runner?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I have been working on a first-generation biofuel, which is using food-based crops, to do combustion testing. But now the trend is that we are shifting towards second-generation and third-generation biofuel, which does not compete with food or land.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Waste cooking oil is obviously one good solution. In China particularly, waste cooking oil is abundant because \u2026 in the food and beverage industry they produce a lot. So this is a very good feedstock to convert that into biofuel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Feedstock does depend on the sources. It depends on country, geography. So perhaps waste cooking oil is abundant in China but maybe not that much in Europe. In Europe maybe you would look for different alternative sources like tobacco stems or animal fat waste or lignocellulosic-based biomass.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Lignocellulosic is using the biomass base \u2013 starch, sugarcane bagasse \u2013 and all these are potential feedstocks for biofuel. The EU has been certifying some of these biofuels to be aviation friendly so we see a lot of progress in that area.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat about algae?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Of course, (there are) a lot of promises for algae but the problem is always on the production side. The EU is not that great until now at making it commercially available in terms of the scale. There is still a lot of research going on there. That is one of the areas I\u2019m trying to look at as well because in China we also have a lot of algae.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIf you were to bet on one to be the fuel of the future, which would it be?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I think the waste cooking oil and also the lignocellulosic biomass have got really good potential to turn into aviation-grade biofuel. Simply because the feedstocks are there, the technologies are there and it is just a matter of time to bring down the cost to make it feasible.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou mentioned cost. How do we get around this? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It is one of the challenges, especially in biofuel. If we were to compare to the conventional fossil fuel, biofuel is about two or three times higher in terms of price so that presents a problem. Because obviously if the price is high, the industrial player doesn\u2019t want to take up the fuel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I think the policy side could be a good way to help increase the uptake or encourage the use of biofuel. Because ultimately we are trying to solve a bigger problem here, that is the CO2 emissions. The EU has been doing very well on this front \u2013 in fact, many countries around the world, they have different kinds of biofuel policies in place to increase the biofuel usage. In China, you can see the government trying to push to convert waste cooking oil into biofuel so there is some policy in place.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018(On) the production side, this is where research comes in \u2013 how to increase the conversion yield, for example, to bring down the cost. So, technology advancement, at first slow but inevitable, I can see that in the future, we can bring down the prices.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApart from cost, what else is stopping us from rolling out biofuels more widely in aviation?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The availability of the feedstock is another problem. One burning question is: can we get enough feedstock to produce the volume that we need? Logistically, how is it feasible? Because you are talking about the collection of waste cooking oil from different places. So if you want to roll (this) out nationwide, how are you going to do it? Will it bring up the prices again? In terms of lignocellulosic biomass, do you have that much of biomass availability for the production of fuel?\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIf China is producing one type of biofuel and Europe another, how does that work in terms of international flights?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Standards are important to ensure the quality of the same level so they all can be compatible and there should be no issue if you want to refuel one aircraft flying from A to B. Just in recent years there have been \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/transport\/sites\/transport\/files\/2019-aviation-environmental-report.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Esix biofuels\u003C\/a\u003E that have been certified in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.astm.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EASTM (international) standards\u003C\/a\u003E. As long as the standards, which detail all the lists of properties you have to achieve to be certified as an aviation-grade fuel, (are in place), that should be a good reference for all the producers of biofuels.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESo one aeroplane could fly to different places and be refuelled with different fuels?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Yes, that\u2019s the idea. This is why cooperation is needed. An aircraft doesn\u2019t just remain in the EU. And if we have (research) collaborations between the EU and China, that could be a win-win solution. That could push the uptake of the standards, as well as the uptake of the biofuel in the aviation industry. So we have a common ground because CO2 emissions is a global issue. It\u2019s not an isolated, single-country problem.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDr\u0026nbsp;Chong won first prize at the EURAXESS Science Slam China 2018 competition for science communication. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022moreinfoblock\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3\u003EThe Issue\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EIn order to enhance international research collaboration and mobility, the European Commission runs an initiative called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/euraxess.ec.europa.eu\/\u0022\u003EEURAXESS\u003C\/a\u003E. It has teams all over the world which support professional researchers and provide a network for scientists to connect, or stay connected with, Europe. In 2019, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/china.euraxess.org\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EEURAXESS China\u003C\/a\u003E will celebrate its 10\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E anniversary.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-qejpjbp-sdbywtpydffvdq0ow1-lgawo3eeusawyct4\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-QEJpjbp-SdBYwTpyDffvdQ0oW1-lGaWO3eeusaWYct4\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]