On Friday, July 15th, Lufthansa flew using a biofuel blend produced by Neste Oil. The NExBTL renewable aviation fuel was such a resounding success that now Airbus A321 Lufthansa-operated flights flying between Hamburg and Frankfurt will use this fuel, in both directions four times a day. One engine will run on a 50-50 NExBTL/fossil fuel blend while the other engine …
DFCast: Biofuels Take Flight
In the past few months, biofuels have taken to the skies with a multitude of successful flights conducted by both the military and the commercial airline industry. This news has been even more welcome with the achievements taking place during the aftermath of the Rand report predicting that aviation biofuels would not play a role in the next few decades. …
Biomass Crops to Be Grown on Airport Property
Michigan State University (MSU) is partnering with Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) who operates the Detroit Metropolitan Airport and Willow Run Airport to grow, harvest and process biomass crops on airport owned land. This is the first of its kind partnership in the Midwest and demonstrates WCAA’s commitment to advancing aviation biofuels development. “How does aviation protect itself in the …
New Initiative Launched to Spur Aviation Biofuels in Europe
The Paris air show is taking place this week and biofuels have taken to the air in a dramatic fashion. Today, the European Commission and Airbus, along with several leading European airlines and European biofuel producers, have launched a new industry wide initiative to try and speed up the commercialization of aviation biofuels throughout the country. “Biofuel Flightpath,” is a …
Navy Seahawk Helicopter Flies with Algae
The US Navy has successfully flown an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter test flight using a 50/50 blend of biojet fuel using Solazyme’s Solajet HRJ-5, derived 100 percent from algae. This test flight, which took place on June 20, marks the first military aircraft ever to fly on algal-based biojet fuel. Just last week, ASTM International gave preliminary specs and approval for …
Solena To Provide BioJet Fuel to ATA Members
Solena Fuels has received multiple letters of intent from members of Air Transport Association of America, Inc. (ATA) to supply biojet fuel made from biomass produced in Northern California. The biojet fuel will be produced at Solena’s “GreenSky California” biomass-to-liquids biorefinery in Santa Clara County and utilize post-recycled urban and agricultural wastes to produce nearly 16 million gallons each year …
Green Jet Fuel Powers Transatlantic Biofuel Flight
Over the weekend, a transatlantic flight, flying with biofuels, landed at the Paris-Le Bourget Airport. The plane was fueled with Honeywell’s Green Jet Fuel. The Honeywell-operated Gulfstream G450, powered by a Rolls-Royce engine, is the first flight from North America to Europe using the 50/50 biofuel blend derived from camelina grown and harvested by Sustainable Oils. The flight departed at …
ASTM Close to Approval on Renewable Jet Fuel Specs
You hear a lot about the role biofuels could take in the aviation sector. Just a few weeks ago, the U.S. Air Force successfully tested renewable jet fuel in several of their fighter planes. Biojet fuel is poised to become a big player for the U.S. military which is the largest user of fuel in the country. But what might …
Pathway to Develop Sustainable Aviation Biofuels Industry
In 2010, the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest (SAFN) was formed to determine how the Pacific Northwest could create a viable and robust biofuels industry with the goal of creating fuels for the aviation industry. Yesterday, a 10 month study conducted by Climate Solutions has determined that the Pacific Northwest has the diverse feedstock, fuel-delivery infrastructure and political will needed to …
California Fuels Report Released
A new report, “Projected Outlook for Next Generation and Alternative Transportation Fuels in California 2010-2030,” has been released. The report concludes that with current investments and advances in alternative fuels over the past several years should lead to a significant displacement of petroleum-based fuels like diesel and gasoline. The report was released by Fueling California and Orange County Business Council …