The aviation industry is responsible for roughly 2–3.1% of global CO₂ emissions, underscoring the urgent need for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to help meet the net-zero target by 2050. While much of the existing literature focuses on the high production costs of SAF, fewer studies have explored cost reduction strategies or assessed the environmental footprint using life cycle analysis (LCA). In our study, we investigate methods to lower SAF production costs and enhance fuel benefits by employing gasification techniques that convert waste into energy. Gasification converts municipal solid waste (MSW) into synthesis gas, primarily composed of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H₂), which can then be refined into a range of valuable chemicals. Our analysis examines both economic and environmental impacts, including the minimum selling price of the fuel and its global warming potential, when producing SAF and propanol from MSW. We simulated a system in BioSTEAM v2.44.3 that processes 2,000 tons of MSW per day, yielding approximately 9.3 gallons of jet fuel per ton, along with 88 tons of aluminum, 188 tons of iron, and 41.7 tons of propanol. The results reveal that the minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) varies from $1.25 to $3.68 per gallon, depending on feedstock costs and the revenue from by-products. Additionally, the LCA shows a global warming potential (GWP) of 33.67 g CO₂ eq/MJ, markedly lower than the 90 g CO₂ eq/MJ associated with conventional jet fuel. A sensitivity analysis further highlights that electricity and natural gas consumption are the primary factors influencing environmental impacts, emphasizing the need to integrate renewable energy sources and optimize process efficiency. Although challenges such as high capital requirements and variable feedstock quality remain, SAF produced from MSW holds significant promise as a sustainable and economically competitive alternative to traditional aviation fuels.
Keywords: municipal solid waste, sustainable aviation fuel, techno-economic analysis, life cycle assessment, gasification, global warming potential, minimum fuel selling price
