Page 7 - Georgia Forestry - Issue 2 - Spring 2023
P. 7
Can Wood Be the Future of Transit?
2%
of CO2 emissions in atmosphere come from airlines
How Woody Biomass Innovations Are Powering Planes, Electric Vehicles
CBy Les Shaver
onverting forest biomass into other uses is nothing new. Biomass power plants that harness the power of residuals for the forest and agriculture have been around for decades. But researchers are working on many exciting new uses for aviation fuel and electric battery manufacturing that
could provide potential markets for wood residuals.
While there have been great strides in reducing emissions in automo-
biles and trucks via electric batteries, airlines are still a problem.
“For our auto industry, the trend is e-vehicles,” said Lokendra Pal, Ph. D., the EJ Woody Rice Associate Professor in the Department of Forest Biomaterials at NC State University. “But for the aviation industry, we
will need sustainable biofuels.”
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