Virgin Galactic may soon be flying well-paying passengers into space. Meanwhile, parent company Virgin Group also wants to do its part to contribute to a better future here on Earth. The sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) agreement of the week once more belongs to Virgin Atlantic, as only seven days ago it ordered 2.5 million liters of SAF to be delivered for its operations out of London Heathrow.

However, true to its name, the carrier and its parent group are also extending its sustainable fuel adoption and investment across the other side of the Atlantic. On Tuesday, Virgin Group and chemical conversion technology company Agilyx announced that they had formed a strategic partnership to research and develop lower-carbon fuel facilities while combating plastic waste.

The partnership aims to reuse plastic waste to produce synthetic crude oil. This would then be refined into low-carbon fuel in facilities in the US. In other words, if it is successful, this would hit two environmental-issue birds with one stone, as there is little shortage of plastic waste. The US is statistically the world's largest generator of plastic waste, averaging roughly 130 kilograms per person and year.

Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350-1041 G-VPOP (2)
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Plastic waste valuable resource

Virgin Group says it wants to provide sustainable fuel for the global market and expects Virgin Atlantic to be an early adopter. The airline has set itself a target to power its flights with 10% SAF by 2030, a pledge also made by IAG and the whole oneworld alliance.

Agilyx is a chemical recycling company based out of Norway. While the first plant developed in partnership with Virgin will be located in the US, Agilyx has intentions of creating plastic-to-fuel facilities in other countries. Its Chief Executive Officer, Tim Stedman, commented,

“We are pleased to be partnering with the Virgin Group to enable a technology solution for lower carbon fuels as it transitions on its journey to net-zero. This platform is unique as it will be used for lower carbon fuels and has the future opportunity for the production of circular plastics. We view plastic waste as a valuable above ground resource that is not widely tapped into. Through our technology, we aim to unlock the value of plastic waste that otherwise may have been destined for landfill or incineration.”

Aircraft-Fueling
Airline profit margins are squeezed amid rising fuel costs. Photo: Boeing

Every little bit?

Whether it comes from a genuine desire to lessen their contribution to climate change or from a sheer publicity angle is sometimes difficult to tell, but airlines and OEMs are signing agreements for SAF left, right, and center. The good news is that when it comes to environmental measures, as long as they are effective, the benefits for the planet will be the same, no matter the intention.

If it were possible to produce lower-carbon fuel from plastic, that would address two of the world's most significant challenges at once. The technology alone will not make up for our carelessness with natural resources thus far, but it might just be a potent drop in a sustainable future ocean.