> next-gen sustainable fuel
Hydrogen?
Hydrogen is a nightmare to contain as a liquid the only way to have enough storage density for flight. Jets need liquid high density fuels that’s limited by physics. There is a few processes to turn “sustainable” carbon sources into.
Ethanol aka food the worse way to go.
Butanol is a better higher C number alcohol which can be made from any cellulose not food via ABE fermentation as was done on a massive scale during WWII to make synthetic butadine rubbers aka synthetic rubber tires.
Fun fact any car with OBDII technology on board can run on 100% butanol with zero modifications. Butanol has a 100+ octane rating as well as being hydrophilic unlike ethanol it won’t absorb water from the air so no corrosion of the metals in the fuel system. And it’s compatible with all neoprenes and synthetic rubber think fuel lines and O rings. Its air fuel ratio is so close to stock gasoline the ECU won’t throw a code for lean mixture. Its a drop in gallon for gallon replacement for gasoline it’s energy density per gallon is 110,000 btu vs 115,000 of gasoline that you currently get at the pump so the distance on a full tank is effectively the same since its over 100 octane allows for modern vehicles to run slightly lean without fear of detonation no more rich mixture to prevent knocking.
With unlimited nuke power on carriers the Navy came up with a way to make syngas from seawater and FT synthesis it to alkenes, in land with a nuke plant next to an ocean for cooling anyways you could make massive amounts of jet fuel literally out of seawater. They say $6 per gallon which is WAY cheaper than fuel delivered via tanker to the middle of the ocean for flight ops via underway replenishment currently that fuel is upwards of $400 a gallon when delivered to a FOB in theater having a fuel maker on ship or at the outpost if on a shoreline would cut the logistics and wars are won with logistics ask the Germans about that it’s why they lost WWII.