Flying on waste energy

British Airways has announced plans to source a part of its fuel supplies from waste municipal waste to fuel plant. The company plans to procure 16 million gallons of green jet fuel annually from the Solena plant that would come up in London.

The plant which is expected to come online in 2014 would convert 50,000 tonnes of municipal waste into jet-grade fuel. The volume of fuel supplied initially would be 2percent of the total fuel consumption of British Airways. This would cut down on the carbon emissions that is generated due to the conventional jet fuel, kerosene.

British Airways aims to obtain 10 percent of its jet fuel waste-to-energy processes by 2050. London produces 3 million tonnes in organic waste every year.

Waste to energy process provides a three-pronged advantage. One, it helps in the management of the ever increasing waste in the cities, two, it converts the methane an efficient fuel and a greenhouse gas) which is produce from the decomposition of municipal waste and, third, its use results in reduction in carbon emissions.

Yet another waste to energy plan was announced by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) last year. DIAL in partnership with two other companied will build a Rs 1.4 billion ($28.6 million) plant that generates energy using municipal waste.

The plant, to be built on 5.7 acres, is expected to be commissioned in late 2010
With about 4,000 MW of generating capacity, Delhi still has a shortfall of about 400 MW. In addition, Delhi's landfill sites are running out of capacity. The proposed plant would need 1,300 metric tons of municipal waste a day, which is 100 metric tons more than what Delhi produces each day. That could be the pitfalls of such plants, as waste quantities and moisture content are crucial for the operation of the plant.

The world needs more such ventures, not only to optimize on energy waiting to be tapped but also to tackle the alarming waste problem. If you have heard of individuals or groups undertaking such projects, write in to us. Let us share the success stories and scale them up.