Startup Air Company announced a $65 million deal with the United States Depart of Defense to develop further and produce sustainable jet fuel for the US Air Force through the atmospheric carbon dioxide on military bases.
Air Company-Air Force Deal
Air Company is known for its sustainable efforts as they turn carbon dioxide into perfumes, vodka, and hand sanitizer. The Hill reported that the startup company is now partnering with the Department of Defense to produce aviation. The company won its spot in a 2021 competition by producing fuel for drones with ready-made jet fuel for Air Force's Project FIERCE.
The carbon will initially come from industrial facilities, the same process how they make fuel at its pilot plant in Brooklyn, New York. Air Company will also focus on direct air capture, a part of the technology that would be built on-site.
The $65 million deal will help Air Force capture CO2 and turn it into sustainable fuel on bases. But the deal's goal is to supply fuel for Air Force and make the fuel itself. This is one of the company's efforts to reduce harm and avoid fuel transportation as a target for explosives.
In an interview with USA Today, Air Company Chief Executive Officer Gregory Constantine stated, "These contracts allow you to focus on the growth of technology and the development of technology."
He added that this deal puts the company and its technology close to powering commercial flights, which is a good sign regarding how this type of technology (sustainable aviation fuel) is quickly evolving and being implemented already.
Production Process
By capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and combining it with sustainably produced hydrogen, Air Company will produce sustainable fuel. This process will result in a reaction that creates a mix of alcohol and paraffin that can be burned as fuel in engines.
Constantine added that the core of their technology is centered around carbon utilization. He estimates that if all methanol, ethanol, and kerosene-dependent industries switched to this process to produce their fuel, 1-% of global CO2 emissions would be reduced.
This method will also be more flexible than other processes since it does not rely on agriculture or feedstock, which can be difficult for other companies to transport or have other competing uses.
Also read : Air Force Has Successfully Designed, Built, and Tested a Mysterious Fighter Jet in a Year--in Secret
TechCrunch reported that the Department of Defense is known for how heavily notorious carbon polluters they are.
Researchers from Lancaster University in England estimate that the department emits more climate-polluting changes than some medium-sized countries. The researchers argue that "action on climate change demands shuttering vast sections of the military machine."
