Reducing CO2 emissions from the new generation aeroplanes has always been a headache for the researchers, as the planes contribute to more than 2% of the global carbon emissions and the aviation industry is growing rapidly. It was Virgin Atlantic who had flown a commercial flight with biofuel way back in 2008. Though it was only a small percentage of coconut and babassu oil mixture which was added to the regular aviation fuel.
A study by lead researcher Carsten Kulheim and his team from The Australian National University (ANU) shows oil from Australia’s gum (eucalyptus) trees can be used to produce enough low-carbon renewable jet fuel. The study was conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Tennessee, and the University of Florida in the United States.
Jet fuel can be made using a fungus found in soil, rotting fruits and decaying leaves.