Page 158 - CW E-Magazine (18-6-2024)

News from Abroad

GREENER AVIATION
In-flight study reports lesser non-CO emissions
2
from SAF-powered commercial aircraft

Results from the world’s first in-flight use of SAF at higher concentrations than
study of the impact of using 100% sus- currently approved 50%,” said Mr. Alex-
tainable aviation fuel (SAF) in both ander Kueper, Vice President Renewable
engines of a commercial aircraft show a Aviation Business at Neste.
reduction in soot particles and formation
of contrail ice crystals compared to using “We already knew that sustainable
conventional Jet A-1 fuel. aviation fuels could reduce the carbon
footprint of aviation. Thanks to the ECLIF
The ECLIF3 study, in which Airbus, studies, we now know that SAF can also
Rolls-Royce, the German Aerospace by at least 26% with 100% SAF use com- reduce soot emissions and ice particulate
Center (DLR) and SAF producer Neste pared to the Jet A-1 reference fuel used formation that we see as contrails. This is a
collaborated, was the first to measure the in ECLIF3. These results show that using very encouraging result, based on science,
impact of 100% SAF use to emissions SAF could significantly reduce the cli- which shows just how crucial sustainable
from both engines of an Airbus A350 mate impact of aviation in the short term aviation fuels are for decarbonising air
powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB by reducing non-CO effects such as transport,” said Mr. Mark Bentall, Head
2
engines and followed by a DLR chase contrails, in addition to reducing green- of Research & Technology Programme,
plane. Compared to a reference Jet A-1 house gas emissions, such as CO emis- Airbus. The research team has reported
2
fuel, the number of ice crystals per mass of sions over the life cycle of SAF when its findings in the Copernicus journal
unblended SAF consumed was reduced by compared to using fossil jet fuel. Atmospheric Chemistry & Physics (ACP) as
56%, which could significantly reduce part of a peer-reviewed scientific process,
the climate-warming effect of condensa- “SAF is widely recognised as a and provides the first in-situ evidence of
tion trails – also known as contrails. crucial solution to mitigate the climate the climate impact mitigation potential of
impact of the aviation sector, both in the using pure, 100% SAF on a commercial
Global climate model simulations, short term as well as the longer term. The aircraft. The ECLIF3 program, which also
conducted by DLR, were used to esti- results from the ECLIF3 study confirm a includes researchers from the National
mate the change in the energy balance in significantly lower climate impact when Research Council of Canada and the Uni-
Earth’s atmosphere – also known as radia- using 100% SAF due to the lack of versity of Manchester, conducted in-flight
tive forcing – by contrails. The impact aromatics in Neste’s SAF used, and provide emissions tests and associated ground
of contrails was estimated to be reduced additional scientific data to support the tests in 2021.

POLYSTYRENE RECYCLING
Agilyx technology produces on-spec product in Japan

Agilyx, the Norwegian chemical mer will then be converted back into Toyo Styrene plant showcases the latest
recycling specialist, has announced that high value polystyrene products which generation of Agilyx’s technology.
its depolymerisation technology was bear a significantly lower carbon foot-
successfully demonstrated during com- print than similar products made with “This achievement demonstrates
missioning of polystyrene firm, Toyo virgin monomer. the efficacy of Agilyx’s technology
Styrene’s 10 ton-per-day chemical and brings us one step closer to pro-
recycling facility in Japan. Construction of the facility was com- ject completion on the first polystyrene
pleted in March 2024, at which time the chemical recycling facility in Japan,”
The recycling plant will convert commissioning process began. Polysty- stated Mr. Russ Main, interim CEO for
post-use polystyrene into a styrene rene has now been successfully depo- Agilyx. Agilyx and Toyo will continue
monomer enabled by Agilyx depoly- lymerised and converted to on-specifica- to partner and optimise the facility over
merisation technology. The styrene mono- tion product during commissioning. The the next few months.

158 Chemical Weekly June 18, 2024

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