Researchers claim methane emissions from landfill sites can be converted to sustainable jet fuel.

Scientists at the University of Sydney said a chemical process utilising plasma technology could potentially revolutionise the aviation industry by converting methane emissions from landfills into sustainable jet fuel.

They said that methane, a potent greenhouse gas, poses a significant environmental threat, with landfill emissions and fossil fuel combustion contributing to its alarming concentration in the atmosphere.

Research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society claims to offer a solution to mitigate methane emissions while 'advancing towards a circular economy for waste-generated greenhouse gases'.

Lead author Professor PJ Cullen from the University of Sydney's School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering emphasised the process's transformative potential, stating: 'Globally, landfills are major emitters of greenhouse gases. We have developed a process to harness these gases and convert them into fuels, particularly targeting sectors like aviation that are challenging to electrify.'

The process entails extracting methane from landfill sites through methane wells and converting it into valuable fuels using non-thermal plasma technology.

Unlike conventional methods, they said the approach operates at low temperatures and atmospheric pressure, reducing energy consumption and facilitating compatibility with renewable energy sources.

The research further claims that leveraging plasma technology to induce plasma discharge within gas bubbles efficiently transforms methane into high-value products, offering a more environmentally impactful and commercially viable alternative to conventional landfill gas utilization methods.

The authors are associated with PlasmaLeap Technologies, which is the provider of the plasma technology employed in the study.

Several airline carriers have set targets for the use of sustainable jet fuel to begin replacing oil.

Virgin Atlantic made the world's first flight using only sustainable fuels between London Heathrow and New York JFK in November last year.