Out of the frying pan and into the fly-er

“That's my retirement grease!” cries Groundskeeper Willie as Homer and Bart are discovered pilfering the oil from the school's deep fat fryer. Some 28 years after The Simpsons aired its Lard of the Dance episode, life appears to be imitating art. The BBC has recently reported that organised crime gangs have been stealing used cooking oil so that it can be used to create biodiesel. Approximately 70% of biodiesel in the UK is made from used cooking oil, which has led to a significant increase in thefts in this area.

This news coincides with a much more positive report from the UK Government regarding the supply of sustainable aviation fuel under the Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) mandate. According to the report from 12 February, 74% of the SAF used in the UK came from China and was in the HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids) category. A further 16% came from the UK with minor amounts from Indonesia, Japan, and Vietnam. It was estimated that this SAF had a greenhouse gas saving of around 83% compared to the carbon intensity of the fossil equivalent. The report also indicates that the UK met its 2% target of blending SAF into jet fuel. The next target is 10% by 2030, which will require a very significant increase in the amount of SAF available for blending in coming years, which will not be met by just one feedstock.

All of the SAF to date has been generated by the HEFA route and there can only be so much of the required feedstock available to create this. As such, it will be necessary for the UK to expand upon the source materials which can be used to create SAF. 

There are already many promising companies in this space, creating plenty of opportunities for new technologies to enter a market which is mandated to grow significantly over the coming years. Whilst in some quarters, any type of hydrocarbon based fuel is viewed unfavourably, it needs to be appreciated that they are essential for the world to operate and achieving an 83% reduction in carbon intensity is a significant step forwards.