Biofuels and Carbon Crops Take Flight

“While electric cars are replacing gasoline-powered vehicles on U.S. roads, currently only liquid jet fuels can reliably propel the planes needed to keep hundreds of passengers and tons of cargo in the air. It is estimated that replacing the nation’s current fleet of more than 167,000 aircraft with new aviation technology would take 20-30 years, based on the average plane lifespan. Production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from renewable biomass can make it possible to meet the ambitious national goal of cutting the aviation sector’s GHG emissions in half by 2050, and it will power existing plane engines.”

A recent U.S. Department of Energy-funded study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories explores potential crop-based feedstocks for renewable jet fuel. The Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) research identified three high-yielding biomass crops—Miscanthus, sorghum, and switchgrass—as candidates for SAF production. Biomass production, economic feasibility, carbon removal, and environmental impact were analyzed through agroecosystem, techno-economic, and life cycle modeling. Miscanthus appears promising for near-term SAF production, offering high yields and carbon sequestration, but the choice depends on oil prices and carbon removal incentives.

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