From Municipal Solid Waste to Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Process Design

The aviation industry has rebounded post-pandemic, where carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions escalated to 80% of pre-pandemic levels. Studies on waste-to-energy have been exploring various methods like catalytic hydro-processing, pyrolysis of waste plastic, and gasification coupled with Fischer-Tropsch processes. In this work, Aspen Plus was utilized to model a waste-based system, aiming to showcase the production of bio-jet fuel from municipal solid waste (MSW), treated wastewater and captured CO₂. The system involved steam gasification, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, dry reforming, hydrocracking, and isomerization processes. The results demonstrated the product distribution after each stage, emphasizing the potential of producing jet fuel with the highest selectivity of 53.3% and a total production of 357,781 tonnes/year out of 3 million tonnes of MSW. Such initiatives presented a promising pathway to mitigate aviation emissions while harnessing waste as a valuable resource for energy production.