バイオ燃料(天然油と農業廃棄物から作られた燃料)を使ったジェット機が、2015年の夏からロサンゼルス~サンフランシスコ間の空を飛ぶ予定だ。
これはアメリカのユナイテッド航空の飛行機で、カリフォルニアを拠点とするオルトエアー・フューエルズ社が作ったバイオ燃料が使われる。ニューヨーク・タイムズによれば、アメリカで初の試みだという。
この燃料は、バイオ燃料30%と従来のジェット燃料70%を混ぜたものだ。ユナイテッド航空はロサンゼルス~サンフランシスコ間で2週間・毎日約5便を試験運行させたあと、この燃料をほかの路線でも使う予定だという。
ユナイテッド航空は、環境に優しい燃料を使う取り組みを積極的に進めており、6月30日には家庭の生ゴミや農業廃棄物、動物性脂肪などを「再生可能なジェット燃料」に作りかえる「ファルクラム・バイオエナジー社」に3000万ドルを出資することも発表している。
ユナイテッド航空とファルクラム・バイオエナジー社は、バイオ燃料を生産する施設をユナイテッド航空のハブ空港の近くに最大5カ所作り、年間で1億8000万ガロンのバイオ燃料を生産する計画だ。
ファルクラム・バイオエナジー社の予測によれば、バイオ燃料を使うことで、温室効果ガスを80%減少できるという。さらに、E・ジェームズ・マシアスCEOはニューヨーク・タイムズの取材で、同社のバイオ燃料は1ガロンあたり1ドルを大きく下回る価格で提供できると答えている。これはジェット燃料のみを使う他の航空会社に十分に対抗できる価格だ。
航空会社が排出する二酸化炭素の問題は深刻で、アメリカ国内の二酸化炭素排出量のうち約3%は航空会社によるものだ。具体的には、ニューヨーク~サンフランシスコ間の往復フライトでは、1人当たり約3トンのCO2を排出していることになる。
また、食品廃棄物も問題になっている。アメリカ化学工業協会(ACC)の調査によると、アメリカの各家庭では毎年640ドル相当の食べ物が捨てられているという。さらにアメリカ環境保護庁(EPA)によれば、食品廃棄によるゴミはアメリカの埋め立て地の5分の1を占めている。食品が腐敗すると温室効果ガスのメタンが発生するため、食品廃棄も環境に悪影響をもたらす大きな原因になっている。
ユナイテッド航空の広報メアリー・ライアン氏は、早ければ2018年からファルクラム・バイオエナジー社のバイオ燃料を使っていく考えだと話した。この取り組みがうまくいけば、原油の消費量と食品廃棄量を両方減らして温室効果ガスを削減させるための、画期的な方法になるかもしれない。
この記事はハフポストUS版に掲載されたものを翻訳しました。
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