Lauren Davis
We could grow jet fuel on gum trees — if there’s anywhere left to plant them
Scientists are one step closer to using Australia’s iconic gum trees to develop low-carbon renewable jet and missile fuel. The only problem is, the habitat of more than 90% of eucalypt species is set to decline in the near future due to climate change.
R
a high enough energy density to be used in the aviation industry,” he said. The good news, said Dr Kulheim, is that eucalyptus oil contains compounds called esearchers from The Australian
monoterpenes, which can be refined through a
National University (ANU) participated in
catalytic process and converted into a very high-
an international study which set out to find
energy fuel. Co-researcher David Kainer added that
an alternative to fossil fuels for the aviation
jet fuel derived from eucalyptus oils would be close
industry. As explained by Dr Carsten Kulheim,
to carbon neutral, saying, it would have “minimal
powering a modern jet aircraft with anything
ecological impact”.
other than fossil fuels is difficult due to the high “Renewable ethanol and biodiesel might be okay for the family SUV, but they just don’t have
32 | LAB+LIFE SCIENTIST - Dec 2016/Jan 2017
“We can plant these trees on marginal lands that have low rainfall, and we can also plant them
energy required.
in agricultural systems that have salinity problems and help them defeat that problem,” he said.
www.LabOnline.com.au | www.LifeScientist.com.au