‘Fuel from steel’ a promising beginning.
We all know that fossil fuel is finite, and that it pollutes the environment. As the world has become sensitised to the pollution caused by fuel, governments in developed nations have taken the initiative to enforce progressively stringent anti-pollution provisions on vehicle and aircraft manufacturers and operators. While contrails, the trails of condensed water from an aircraft at high altitude, look pretty when seen as a white streak against the sky, aeroplanes are significant polluters, and thus airlines are under pressure to reduce their carbon footprint. The latest initiative announced by Virgin Atlantic, of chemically converting gases that are a by-product of the steel processing industry into aviation fuel, is promising, especially since a pilot project has already demonstrated the technology.
The technology, when implemented, will go a long way in both providing carbon credits and an alternative bio-fuel for airlines. Some hiccups are to be expected as the technology transitions from a demonstration stage to actual industrial production. However, in the long run, this process holds the promise of harnessing technology for a better, more sustainable future.
The Tribune, October 14
