SynTech proposes aviation fuel plant at Colorado landfill

SynTech Bioenergy LLC, an Englewood, Colorado-based aviation fuel production company, is proposing a plant at the landfill in Eagle County, Colorado, that would use municipal waste to produce aviation fuel that could then be trucked to the Eagle County Regional Airport, reports Vail Daily.

Eagle County Manager Jeff Shroll tells county commissioners he’s been looking for ways to create a local sustainable fuel supply for the county.

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SynTech CEO Wayne McFarland says his firm worked for several years to create the technology to turn waste into fuel, and he calls the drive for sustainable aviation and other fuels a “new industrial revolution,” according to the story. Using the sustainable product mixed with 75 percent conventional fuel could lower the cost of jet fuel at the airport and extend the life of the landfill by keeping a significant amount of material out of the facility.

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McFarland is proposing to use renewable energy from the Holy Cross Energy grid to run the reactors that convert waste, allowing the system to make more aviation fuel than using the traditional electric grid.

SynTech estimates the project will cost about $117 million, and says if construction on the plant begins in 2025, production could begin in 2026.