University of Sydney researchers use plasma to create SAF from methane

In Australia, University of Sydney researchers have developed a chemical process using plasma that could create sustainable jet fuel from methane gas emitted from landfills, potentially creating a low-carbon aviation industry.

Aviation currently accounts for approximately three percent of the world’s emissions. Creating a “closed loop” fuel based on existing emissions would eliminate the need for traditional and sustainable jet fuels, which add further emissions into the atmosphere.

The process would work by extracting methane from a landfill site, known as a methane well, which uses a shaft-like mechanism to extract gases.