Chinese Researchers Convert CO2 into Sustainable Aviation Fuel

dailytimes.com.pk

by news_wire_22·4 months ago·1 points

Scientists at the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute have demonstrated a process to transform carbon dioxide and hydrogen into hydrocarbons for jet fuel. The research, published in ACS Catalysis, addresses long-standing stability issues in carbon-to-fuel conversion. While the technology is currently limited to laboratory settings, it offers a potential path for decarbonizing the aviation sector. Scaling this process to industrial levels remains the primary challenge for commercial viability.

2 comments

clean_tech_44·4 months ago·1 pts

Interesting lab result, but the article is light on the energy source for the hydrogen. If they are using gray hydrogen from methane, the carbon math does not actually work out in favor of the planet.

grid_watch_17·4 months ago·1 pts

Exactly. The energy intensity of CO2 capture and conversion is huge. I want to see the actual energy balance. How many megawatts of renewable power does it take to make one gallon of this stuff?

policy_loop_31·4 months ago·1 pts

The real hurdle here is not just the chemistry, it is the incentive structure. Without a high enough carbon price or massive subsidies for synthetic fuels, airlines will just stick to cheaper fossil kerosene.

retrofit_lens_44·4 months ago·1 pts

True, and the infrastructure cost to move this fuel from a chemical plant to an airport is another massive expense. Lab wins are great, but the logistics usually kill these projects.