Ministry of Tourism Waste-to-Energy Study: “Sustainable aviation fuel”
Status of project
Completed in 2024.
Background to the project
The Government is co-funding the two feasibility studies with Air New Zealand and is investing $765,000 to study failed waste-to-energy technology for so-called sustainable aviation fuel. Here is the government’s statement
Fulcrum BioEnergy, in partnership with Air BP, will deliver one study and will investigate the use of non-recyclables and other items that go into landfill as a feedstock. LanzaTech and LanzaJet, in partnership with Z Energy, will deliver the other study and will investigate the use of forestry residues as the feedstock and consider landfill waste as a supplementary feedstock.
Here is the ZWN media statement. The community of Gary, Indiana is fighting Fulcrum BioEnergy to stop the sighting of a waste-to-aviation fuel plant there. Meanwhile, the wonderful Dr Andrew Rollinson has prepared a short technical briefing, “The reality of waste-derived fuels: up in the air”
On 26 July, the Minister of Energy, Dr Megan Woods responded to our letter regarding the development of so-called “Sustainable Aviation Fuel”. She continues to repeat an incorrect definition of biofuels (one that includes waste), and claims the project is not similar to Feilding. Read her full response>>
In November 2023, Waste Dive reported that Fulcrum Bioenergy was in trouble with debt it wasn’t able to pay and its flagship Reno, NV project not operational. Meanwhile, Inside Climate News was much more straightforward in its reporting:
Fulcrum Bioenergy, Aiming to Produce ‘Net-Zero’ Jet Fuel From Plastic Waste, Hits Heavy Turbulence
The California company has defaulted on $289 million in Nevada bonds and put $500 million in financing for a facility in Indiana on hold. Meanwhile, U.S. senators don’t want tax credits financing plastics-to-jet-fuel schemes.
Campaign updates
Chronological from most recent
7 November 2024
Last week, Air NZ published a glowing media statement about their research into gasifying wood and other waste streams they say, “shows local production of sustainable aviation fuel could support fuel resilience and security.” The report, partly funded by MBIE, and carried out by the company that stands to profit from its development, unsurprisingly concluded that this was a magic fix for New Zealand’s aviation CO2 emissions but “New Zealand shouldn’t get left too far behind or we risk seeing the flow of capital go elsewhere or our valuable raw materials being swooped up by other markets for their own SAF.” The not-so-hidden-agenda here is a campaign for government support for development of the industry. Unfortunately, wood waste is difficult to collect and amass in quantities needed to sustain the industry which is why the real plan is to throw in any waste stream they can get their hands on: “A second phase of the study, exploring the potential for municipal solid waste (household and commercial waste) as a feedstock for the LanzaTech carbon recycling process, is expected to be completed over the next few months”