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Biofuel-powered aircrafts within three years
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Virgin Atlantic biofuels test-flight lift-off Photo: courtesy of Boeing
Biofuel-powered aircrafts could be put in commercial use as early as 2011.
“The certification will happen much sooner than anybody thought”, said Darrin Morgan, an environmental expert at Boeing. “We are thinking that within three to five years we are going to see approval for commercial use of biofuels – and possible sooner”.
Looking to accelerate the development of second-generation biofuels as algae, babassu, halophytes, jatropha and switchgrass, Boeing now expects to move the industry toward carbon-neutrality using non-food crops. First-generation biofuels, such as ethanol, are primarily made from corn and soybeans and criticized for creating increased deforestation and to push up food prices.
On December 3, Air New Zealand will fly a Boeing 747-400 jetliner on biofuels derived from jatropha, and earlier this year British Virgin Atlantic flew one engine of a Boeing 747 on biofuels.
“In preparation for Air New Zealand’s test flight we achieved our near term goal – identifying and sourcing the first large scale run of sustainable biofuels for commercial aviation”, said Boeing Commercial Airplane’s Managing Director of Environmental Strategy Bill Glover. “The processing technology exists today, and based on results we have seen, it is highly encouraging that this fuel not only met but exceeded three key criteria for the next generation of jet-fuel: higher than expected jet fuel yields, very low freeze point and good energy density”.
It looks to be the general opinion. British Airlines (BA) and Rolls-Royce have announced they will conduct an in-depth study of alternative fuels, and Air France-KLM, has also given its backing to biofuels.
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