Waste to energy, landfill methane, waste to jet fuel
I’ve been reading about multiple uses of municipal solid waste (trash OR MSW.)
And about RIN credits for capturing methane.
And about feedstock options for jet fuel
What I’ve read is that MSW collectors make a lot of money from RIN credits they earn by capturing methane from their landfills, to incentivize them to collect the methane.
And I’ve learned that there is no feedstock to make carbon-neutral aviation fuel that is close to being available in large enough quantities to support current aviation demand, except maybe MSW. In technical reports (like a study produced by the NYNJPA) it shows MSW or cooking oil as being a source that is economically viable and carbon-reducing or far better than petroleum. Fulcrum in Reno is the first such MSW to SAF producer.
I am not sure if these reports show it as carbon-neutral solely because of avoided methane from landfills, and if so, are they recognizing that 50% or so is being captured, at least from large municipal landfills?
My logic.
1. Unless global aviation essentially ceases, it will keep burning jet fuel. Electric planes are not viable for commercial large aircraft because of an energy density problem.
2. The most viable feedstock seems to be MSW. To my uninformed eyes, it looks inevitable.
3. RIN credits earned by the capture of methane from landfills incentivize the reduction of harm from a particular landfill —but thus may also be DIS-incentivizing other options, like recycling or using MSW to generate SAF.
4. The more methane captured, the more RIN credits they earn. But this may incentivize an MSW mix that produces higher concentrations of methane for the sake of capture. (I read an article than describes carbon retention in MSW mix based on whether it includes or does not include food waste or yard scraps.)
5. It should be better to NOT have landfills than to have them, if only 50% of the methane is captured.
Anybody with some knowledge on these topics who can comment?