The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has successfully completed flight testing of a giant military transport aircraft powered by a fully renewable fuel, spent cooking oil.
In a press release by the UK government on Friday, the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) announced that they used cooking oil in their military transport aircraft and the flight was successful. In the statement, it is underlined that the operation is a first in the world for any aircraft type.
“They should be rightly proud of this achievement, it’s a milestone for the RAF and an exciting development for the MOD,” said British Defense Secretary Baroness Goldie.
It Flew on Fuel From Cooking Oil
The RAF Voyager, the military version of the Airbus A330, flew over Oxfordshire while powered exclusively by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in all its engines, revealing several options for the future of both military and civilian aircraft. Additionally, airborne on renewable fuel created from waste such as cooking oil, RAF Voyager remained in the air for approximately 90 minutes. During this time, air-to-air refueling sorties were also carried out.
The carbon emission of sustainable aviation fuel, which is produced from waste-based sustainable raw materials such as used cooking oil, is 80 percent lower than traditional jet fuel. On the other hand, the test flight is not the first step of the RAF in this area. The air force has had development projects in this area for some time.
The UK also has a goal of becoming the world’s first carbon-zero Air Force by 2040. The step from RAF Brize Norton to Voyager, powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel, is an important milestone for the UK’s goal. In addition, UK state regulations mandate that all greenhouse gas emissions be net zero by 2050. Therefore, all organizations, including institutions in the country, have to meet this target.
