A new £15 million competition to reduce aviation emissions using fuel made from household waste has been launched by the Jet Zero Council.

The ‘Green Fuel, Green Skies’ competition, part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Ten Point Plan, will support UK companies as they pioneer new technologies to convert household rubbish, waste wood and excess electricity into sustainable aviation fuel.

They will be able to bid for a share of the £15 million funding to kickstart the development of first-of-a-kind production plants in the UK to produce these fuels at scale.

These projects will offer emissions savings of more than 70% compared to conventional jet fuel while helping to create up to 11,500 jobs over the coming decades.

The announcement comes as the government’s second Jet Zero Council meeting was attended by new CEO Emma Gilthorpe, Chief Operating Officer at Heathrow Airport.

New additions also include experts from the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), who will bring a breadth of knowledge and experience to the Council.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Today’s meeting of the Jet Zero Council demonstrates the vital collaboration between government and industry that will make zero-emission flights a reality.

“Britain’s aerospace sector is at the centre of our plans to build back greener from the pandemic. We are committed to supporting its recovery and investing in green tech to take us closer to zero carbon take-off.”

The government has committed a total of £125 million of funding over four years through the Future Flight Challenge, matched by £175 million from industry to develop greener ways to fly.