12 March 2024 , 14:57
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Heathrow Airport is serving up a breakfast cooked with oil that's then turned into renewable biofuels.
The airport has teamed up with chef Heston Blumenthal's The Perfectionists' Cafe in Terminal 2 to create the full English, named the Fly Up. This £15.95 meal is all about making people aware of sustainable aviation fuel (Saf), which could help the industry reach its goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050.
A Heathrow survey found that only 14% of UK adults know about Saf. It's made from farm waste and used cooking oil, so it uses about 70% less carbon to make. It can be mixed with kerosene up to 50% in jet engines without any changes needed. But right now, Saf costs a lot more to make than normal jet fuel.
Virgin Atlantic was the first to fly across the Atlantic using 100% Saf from Heathrow to New York last November. Heathrow wants 11% of jet fuel used at the airport to be Saf by 2030. They have a scheme that makes Saf cheaper for airlines by cutting the price difference with normal jet fuel in half.
Heathrow's director of carbon, Matt Gorman, said the Fly Up "not only gives passengers a delicious start to the day but will raise awareness about Saf and its potential to transform this industry".
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"By demonstrating how cooking oils can be converted into biofuels, we want people to understand how Saf is a real solution to decarbonise aviation and show how we're continuing our mission to get to net zero by 2050. We know that having the right Government policies in place is crucial to making this shift happen. We need a mandate for Saf use, as well as a price support mechanism, to de-risk and incentivise investment in UK Saf facilities."
The Perfectionists' Cafe head chef, Carlos Santos, said: "This is an exciting partnership that we are thrilled to be part of. The Fly Up is made up of the best of British ingredients. It's a breakfast we're proud of, and even more so as it signifies a positive step towards a more sustainable future for air travel."
Heathrow's survey of 2,000 UK adults was carried out in February by research company Opinium.