UT agriculture gets $250K grant to study biomass as jet fuel

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture has landed a $250,000 federal grant to study the possible use of certain farming biomass in the production of jet fuel.

The institute says the Federal Aviation Administration grant will fuel a one-year study that looks into the use of pennycress, soybean, canola, carinata and camelina and softwood logging residues.

The study is expected to involve airports around Nashville; Memphis; Chattanooga; Birmingham, Alabama; and Atlanta, Georgia.

The institute says the pace of commercializing sustainable aviation fuels that reduce greenhouse gas emissions needs to be accelerated.