The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $18 million in investments for four pilot-scale biorefineries that will test renewable biofuels that will meet military specifications for jet fuel, shipboard diesel, cars and trucks. These projects build on the Obama Administration’s broader efforts to advance biofuels technologies to continue to bring down costs, improve performance and identify effective, non-food feedstocks …
Vilsack, LaHood Extend Aviation Biofuels Commitment
Two members of Pres. Obama’s cabinet today have signed their names to an agreement that will extend the administration’s commitment to the production of biofuels for use in airplanes. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood have extended by five years the “Farm to Fly” program, an initiative to partner the USDA and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) …
Biofuel Flights Take Air from New York
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) in partnership with Schiphol Group, Delta Air Lines and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, have begun a 25-week series of biofuel powered international flights. Last week A KLM B777-200 fueled in part by biofuel derived from cooking oil, departed from JFK International Airport and landed in Schiphol Amsterdam Airport. According to …
NASA Researching Alternative Biofuels
NASA researchers are conducting a series of lights using the agency’s DC-8 flying laboratory to study the effects of biofuels on engine performance, emissions and aircraft generated contrails at altitude. The Alternative Fuel Effects on Contrails and Cruise Emissions (ACCESS) research involves flying the DC-8 as high as 40,000 feet while an instrumented NASA Falcon HU-25 aircraft trails behind at …
ARA and Blue Sun Energy to Partner
Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) and Blue Sun Energy, Inc. will be partnering for the design, construction and operation of a biofuels ISOCONVERSION Process (BIC) demonstration system using the ARA and Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) process for the production of certification quantities of 100 percent drop-in renewable jet, diesel and gasoline. The demonstration facility is scheduled for ground breaking in …
Just in – Results from 100% Biofuel Jet Flight
The results are in from a flight powered by 100 percent biofuel. According to data released by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), ReadiJet reduced emissions and provided better fuel efficiency than petroleum aviation fuel. ReadiJet is produced by ARA and Chevron Lummus Global using feedstocks developed by Agrisoma Resonance. Information collected in-flight on October 29, 2012 was analyzed by …
Congress Stands Behind Military
The House and Senate Armed Services Committees finalized the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 (NDAA) yesterday and today Congress stood behind the military by passing the Act without including controversial proposals that would have banned the Department of Defense from expanding its use of advanced biofuels. In response to the passage, Jim Greenwood, CEO and president of the Biotechnology …
Algae. Tec Facility Continues to Attract Attention
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and Member for Eden-Monaro Dr Mike Kelly recently visited Alage.Tec facility in Shoalhaven (Australia). The plant is proving out technology that produces low cost, high grade algae-based biofuels. While on site, Dr. Kelly was briefed about the technology by company representatives. One element with great promise is the fact that algae “eat” carbon to grow. In …
Senate Approves Military Biofuels Use
The U.S. Senate has repealed a provision in the defense department budget that would have prevented the military from developing the use of biofuel alternatives. A coalition of organizations representing military biofuels supporters welcomed the news that will allow the Department of Defense “to continue research and testing of fuels that provide U.S. forces with enhanced military capability.” The Senate …
Civilian Jet Powered by 100% Biofuel
On Monday, October 29th, a jet was powered by a 100 percent renewable biofuel produced by Applied Research Associates (ARA) and Chevron Lumas Global (CLG). The two companies partnered with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Agrisoma Biosciences to to test and analyze the ReadiJet drop-in jet fuel during flight that …