NASA Tests Chicken Fat Jet Fuel.

NASA and the US Air Force are currently testing chicken fat as a “renewable” fuel source in part of their jet fleet.

The US military is trying to come up with petroleum-free fuel for their vehicles and chicken fat may be an option. The Air Force has purchased 8,000 gallons of chicken fat to help power their jets.  The only hurdle now is their ongoing testing for possible health hazards that might be associated with its use.

“The use of alternative fuels, including the use of biofuels in aircraft, is a key element for substantially reducing the impact of aviation on the environment and for reducing the dependency on foreign petroleum” said Glen Rubin Del Rosario from NASA.

This seems like it could be the wave of the future. Tyson Foods has so much fat laying around that they hope to produce 75 million gallons of jet fuel a year. 

I really hope this doesn’t mean Tyson and KFC will become the new leaders of the energy market. This does leave me questioning though, are chickens really a renewable resource?