Green jet fuel will win $10 million
The first environmentally-friendly and commercially-viable jet fuel will be rewarded by a $10 million prize from the X Prize Foundation, a fund that boosts development in areas as diverse as space flight and genome research.
Over the next year a group of experts in aviation and green technology will develop guidelines for the latest X-Prize competition ahead of its formal launch in a year’s time.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Given that flying will continue it is vital that the aviation industry makes dramatic progress in improviong its environemntal credentials – in that respect we all stand to win from this prize.”
The X-Prize – more than just space travel
The X PRIZE Foundation is best known for space travel because in 2004 it made headlines across the world when it awarded $10 million to the first private team to build and launch a spacecraft capable of carrying three people to 100 kilometers above the earth’s surface, twice within two weeks. It is now involved in all sorts of areas…
| The X-Prize competitions | …at a glance |
|---|---|
| $10 million for first privately built spacecraft | Won in 2004 by Burt Rutan for Space Ship One, which forms the basis for the spacecraft that will be used by Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic |
| $10 million prize for Genomics | Intended to help bring about an era of personalised medicine – not yet awarded |
| Progressive car X-Prize | Will go to whoever designs, builds, and sells a super-efficient car that people want to buy |
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What is the ETA?
The ETA is a not-for-profit ethical organisation providing motorists and cyclists with carbon-neutral breakdown cover and insurance products. As well as encouraging responsible driving to reduce carbon, the ETA campaigns for sustainable transport.
