Is the first fossil-free jet fuel made from CO2 viable? The US Air Force thinks so

Published

2 years ago

October 20, 2021

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Berkeley, California-based carbon transformation company Twelve and Tulsa-based Emerging Fuels Technology (EFT) today announced that they have produced the first fossil-free jet fuel from carbon dioxide using an electrochemical process. The project received funding from the US Air Force.

The new biofuel, which is called E-Jet, can be used by both commercial and military aviation.

Biofuels are notoriously expensive. But where many processes have proven the ability to yield 65% of jet fuel from initial feedstock, EFT says its process yields more than 80%. EFT has also signed a licensing agreement with Norwegian company Nordic Electrofuel, which also makes fossil-replacement fuels.

Twelve and EFT state that fossil-free jet fuel E-Jet is a drop-in replacement for petrochemical-based alternatives, and no changes are required to existing plane design or commercial regulations.

Twelve summarizes how E-Jet is made on its website:

E-Jet is made with our carbon transformation technology, a new electrochemical reactor and proprietary catalyst that electrifies CO2 and water, which creates synthesis gas, CO + H2, which we then refine into carbon neutral jet fuel.

E-Jet is drop-in ready and certified, with the same quality and performance, but has over 90% lower lifecycle emissions. That’s because we source the carbon in our fuel from the air, not the ground — and, because it has fewer contaminants than petroleum-based fuels, it burns cleaner.

In summer 2021, the US Air Force tested and qualified our E-Jet product.

Twelve and EFT worked in partnership with the US Air Force’s Operational Energy office through a joint contract with AFWERX, a program office at the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

Roberto Guerrero, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Operational Energy, said:

One of our main goals with this project was to create a clean jet fuel that enhances security and energy independence without sacrificing operational readiness. The successful completion of the project proves that efficiency and environmental responsibility are not mutually exclusive.

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Photo: Twelve

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Entertainment

Warwick Davis’s wife Samantha dies aged 53

Published

4 hours ago

April 18, 2024

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Warwick Davis's wife Samantha dies aged 53

Samantha Davis, the wife of Star Wars and Harry Potter actor Warwick Davis, has died aged 53.

Samantha co-founded the dwarfism charity Little People UK and featured in the final Harry Potter film, alongside Warwick.

Warwick announced the news in a statement shared to the BBC, revealing she had died on 24 March.

“Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family. I miss her hugs.

“She was a unique character, always seeing the sunny side of life she had a wicked sense of humour and always laughed at my bad jokes.”

He added that she was his “most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career”.

Their two children together, Annabelle and Harrison, also paid tribute to their mother, saying: “Her love and happiness carried us through our whole lives.

“Mum is our best friend and we’re honoured to have received a love like hers.”

The couple met on the set of George Lucas’s film Willow and married three years later in 1991.

Samantha also played a goblin in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 while her husband played both Professor Flitwick and the goblin Griphook in all eight films in the franchise.

Annabelle, 27, has followed in her parents’ acting footsteps, starring in CBBC’s The Dumping Ground and Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.

Warwick starred as the titular hero Willow Ufgood in the 1988 original film Willow and reprised the role for the 2022 sequel.

He also played several characters in the Star Wars film series.

Samantha and Warwick co-founded Little People UK in 2012 to help individuals with dwarfism and their families.

Entertainment

New ‘Drake song’ causes confusion as listeners question whether AI or the rapper is behind it

Published

11 hours ago

April 17, 2024

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New 'Drake song' causes confusion as listeners question whether AI or the rapper is behind it

A new ‘leaked’ song thought to be by Drake is causing confusion among fans, with some questioning whether it is him or an AI clone.

The new song appeared on the internet over the weekend, supposedy after being leaked.

In it, the Canadian rapper seems to hit out at other musicians including Kendrick Lamar and Metro Boomin.

However, fans aren’t sure if it is actually him.

“This is clearly AI,” posted one user on X.

The song hasn’t been officially released and some listeners say they can hear small glitches in his vocal track that suggest it could have been generated by artificial intelligence.

Drake’s AI clone has history.

In 2023, an AI-generated track that recreated the voices of Drake and artist The Weeknd went viral on TikTok.

The song, called Heart On My Sleeve, was created by an artist known as Ghostwriter.

It racked up more than 230,000 plays on YouTube, with more than 625,000 plays on Spotify, according to industry news website Music Business Worldwide, before it was removed from streaming platforms.

At the time, Universal Music Group, which publishes both artists through Republic Records, said songs like Heart On My Sleeve “represent both a breach of our agreements and a violation of copyright law”.

Drake isn’t helping the current confusion.

He hasn’t claimed the track but has been posting about it on Instagram.

He even posted an AI deepfake of rap producer Metro Boomin in a clip from the 2002 film Drumline, which appears to be a reference to one of the lines in the song, “Metro, shut your h*e ass up and make some drums”.

Sky News approached Universal Music for confirmation of the song’s authenticity but is yet to receive a response.

Entertainment

Metallica frontman James Hetfield has Lemmy’s ashes tattooed into finger

Published

11 hours ago

April 17, 2024

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Metallica frontman James Hetfield has Lemmy's ashes tattooed into finger

Metallica frontman James Hetfield has shared details of his latest tattoo – featuring the ashes of the late Motorhead rocker Lemmy.

Hetfield posted a picture on Metallica‘s Instagram account, showing a new Aces Of Spades inking on his right middle finger in reference to Motorhead’s biggest hit.

The singer and guitarist told the band’s 11 million followers the tattoo is “a salute to my friend and inspiration Mr Lemmy Kilmister”, adding: “Without him, there would be NO Metallica.”

He went on to say: “Black ink mixed with a pinch of his cremation ashes that were so graciously given to me. So now, he is still able to fly the bird at the world.”

Lemmy, whose real name was Ian Kilmister, was the founder and frontman of British rock band Motorhead. Formed in the 1970s, the band went on to release more than 20 albums, with hits including Overkill, Iron Fist and Ace Of Spades.

He died in December 2015, just days after being diagnosed with cancer.

Hetfield formed American rock act Metallica with drummer Lars Ulrich in the early 1980s, and the band released their 11th album, 72 Seasons, last year.

They are best known for hits including Enter Sandman, Master Of Puppets, Nothing Else Matters and Until It Sleeps.

‘The most badass tribute’

Hetfield has previously spoken about Motorhead’s influence on Metallica, and in 2022 called for Motorhead to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

“It’s just a nod, a tip of the cap. What does it really mean to be in there? I don’t know. But to some of these bands it might mean the world,” he said in a radio interview.

“With the passing of Lemmy, it’s really, really important for me to see Motorhead acknowledged in that – because there’s no more rock’n’roll person on this planet than Lemmy.”

Many fans commented on his tattoo photo, with one calling the inking “the most badass tribute possible”.

Another said: “RIP Lemmy. This is a wonderful gift!”