Eco-Aviation Channel

Biofuels edge closer to takeoff

By ATW Staff
Eco-Aviation Today, April 10, 2009, p.2

The potential and timeline of biofuel came under intense scrutiny in late March with Boeing's self-confessed "born again" biofuel expert, MD-Environmental Strategy Billy Glover, talking up the prospects and stating he was "very confident" about plant-derived biofuels after recent flights. "We think it is quite reasonable that there will be commercial availability of some type in the next 3-5 years," he said from Geneva, where he attended the Aviation and Environment Summit.

While winding up evaluations of recently conducted biofuel test flights, Glover said Boeing already has drawn enough conclusions to state to US lawmakers that it is "very confident. . .high quality jet fuel" can be made up of plant-derived oils. Testifying at a Congressional hearing on the potential of biofuels in civil aviation, he said the manufacturer has identified four plant-derived oils that "have a very strong potential" to produce sustainable biofuel.

Glover listed jatropha, camelina and halophytes "in the near term" and algae "in the longer term." Jatropha, camelina and algae were flight-tested on an Air New Zealand 747-400, Japan Airlines 747-300 and Continental Airlines 737-800 through December and January.

He told the hearing that studies "show greenhouse gas reductions of 60% or more" using jatropha and camelina-derived fuels. He added that biofuel blends had "better freeze point performance" and "in several instances we observed better energy density in the fuel properties of the individual biofuels and in the biofuel blends when compared to traditional jet fuel." A few days later at the environment summit in Geneva, he told delegates that he expected most airlines would use biofuels in some planes by 2015.

However, Airbus VP-Sustainability and Eco-Efficiency Christian Dumas was less optimistic, saying he believes it will be at least 2025 before biofuels account for 25% of fuel used. He added a plea to the industry: "My advice to the biofuel business community is, 'Please guys, standardize.'" Asked about the effect of the economic crisis and the reduction in the price of fuel, he said, "The economic downturn doesn't lead to any change in our product strategy. We are not going to reduce our research and development. And the price of fuel will not stay for too long at these current levels."

Joining Glover and Dumas in a panel discussion at the summit was Jennifer Holmgren, VP and GM-renewable energy and chemical for Honeywell subsidiary UOP. She told delegates that the key to biofuels is "the right feedstock being available at the right price and with the right sustainability." She said it would help if the first movers into feedstock were "incentivized" while adding that another source, cellulosic material, could become available as well in "a five-year timeframe."

Glover noted that TNT is sponsoring the planting of 24 million jatropha plants in Malawi this year and over the next five years intends to plant 250 million.

Get Copyright Permissions Click here for copyright permissions!
Copyright 2010 Penton Media