Aviation biofuel

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Aviation biofuel is a biofuel used for aircraft. It is considered by some to be the primary means by which the aviation industry
can reduce its carbon footprint. After a multi-year technical review from aircraft makers, engine manufacturers and oil
companies, biofuels were approved for commercial use in July 2011.[1] Since then, some airlines have experimented with using
of biofuels on commercial flights.[2] The focus of the industry has now turned to second generation sustainable biofuelsthat do not
compete with food supplies.
Contents
[hide]

1 Rationale for aviation biofuels

2 Concerns and challenges
3 Industry commitments and collaborations
4 Production routes and sources
o 4.1 Bio-SPK
o 4.2 FT-SPK
o 4.3 Future production routes
5 Commercial and demonstration flights
o 5.1 Demonstration flights
o 5.2 Commercial flights
6 Environmental effects
7 See also
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links

Rationale for aviation biofuels[edit]

Aviation's share of the greenhouse gas emissions is poised to grow, as air travel increases and ground vehicles use more
alternative fuels like ethanol and biodiesel. Currently aviation represents 2% of global emissions, but is expected to grow to 3%
by 2050.[3] In addition to building more fuel efficient aircraft and operating them more efficiently, changing the fuel source is one
of the few options the aviation industry has for reducing its carbon footprint. While solar, electric and hydrogen propelled aircraft
are being researched, it is not expected they will be feasible in the near or medium term due to aviation's need for high power-toweight ratio and globally compatible infrastructure.

Concerns and challenges[edit]

Biodiesel that is stored for long periods of time is more likely to oxidize, especially at low temperatures, causing it to gel.
Some additives improve the cold weather tolerance of biodiesel, but only by a few degrees.[4] Nitrile-based rubber materials
expand in the presence of aromatic compounds found in conventional petroleum fuel. Pure biofuels that aren't mixed with
petrolum and don't contain paraffin-based additives may cause rubber seals and hoses to shrink.[5] Manufacturers are starting to
use a synthetic rubber substitute called Viton for seals and hoses. Viton isn't adversely affected by biofuels.[6]

Industry commitments and collaborations[edit]

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) supports research, development and deployment of alternative fuels. IATA
thinks a 6% share of sustainable 2nd generation biofuels is achievable by 2020,[7] and Boeing supports a target of 1% of global
aviation fuels by 2015.[8] This is in support of the goals of the aviation industry reaching carbon neutral growth by 2020 and a
50% decrease in carbon emissions by 2050 (relative to a 2005 baseline)[9]

A group of interested airlines has formed the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG). The group was formed in 2008 in
cooperation with support from NGOs such as Natural Resources Defense Council and The Roundtable For Sustainable
Biofuels (RSB). Member airlines represent more than 15% of the industry, and all member CEOs have signed a pledge to work
on the development and use of sustainable biofuels for aviation.[10]
Boeing is joining other aviation-related members in the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO).[11]

Production routes and sources[edit]

Jet fuel is a mixture of a large number of different hydrocarbons. The range of their sizes (molecular weights or carbon numbers)
is restricted by the requirements for the product, for example, freezing point or smoke point. Jet fuels are sometimes classified
as kerosene or naphtha-type. Kerosene-type fuels include Jet A, Jet A-1, JP-5 and JP-8. Naphtha-type jet fuels, sometimes
referred to as "wide-cut" jet fuel, include Jet B and JP-4.
"Drop-in" biofuels are biofuels that are completely interchangeable with conventional fuels. Deriving "drop-in" jet fuel from biobased sources is ASTM approved via two routes.

Bio-SPK[edit]
The first route involves using oil which is extracted from plant sources like jatropha, algae, tallows, other waste
oils, Babassu and camelina to produce bio-SPK (Bio derived synthetic paraffinic Kerosene) by cracking and hydroprocessing.
The growing of algae to make jet fuel is a promising but still emerging technology. Companies working on algae jet fuel
are Solazyme, Honeywell UOP, Solena,Sapphire Energy, Imperium Renewables, and Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation.
Universities working on algae jet fuel are Arizona State University and Cranfield University
Major investors for algae based SPK research are Boeing, Honeywell/UOP, Air New Zealand, Continental Airlines, Japan
Airlines, and General Electric.
See also: Algae fuel

FT-SPK[edit]
The second route involves processing solid biomass using pyrolysis to produce pyrolysis oil or gasification to produce
a syngas which is then processed into FT SPK (FischerTropsch Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene).

Future production routes[edit]

Further research is being done on an alcohol-to-jet pathway where alcohols such as ethanol or butanol are de-oxygenated and
processed into jet fuels. In addition, routes that use synthetic biology to directly create hydro-carbons are being researched.

Commercial and demonstration flights[edit]

Since 2008, a large number of test flights have been conducted, and since ASTM approval in July 2011, [1] several commercial
flights with passengers have also occurred.

Demonstration flights[edit]
Date

Operator

February

Virgin

2008

Atlantic

Platform

Biofuel

Notes

Virgin flew the very first biofuel test flight between

Boeing 747

Coconut and Babassu

London and Amsterdam, using a 20% blend of

biofuels in one of its engines[12][13]

A two-hour test flight using a 50-50 mixture of the

new biofuel with Jet A-1 in the number one
position Rolls Royce RB-211 engine of 747-400
December Air New
2008

Zealand

ZK-NBS, was successfully completed on 30

Boeing 747

Jatropha

December 2008. The engine was then removed to

be scrutinised and studied to identify any
differences between the Jatropha blend and
regular Jet A1. No effects to performance were
found.[14]

Continental Airlines ran the first flight of an algaefueled jet. The flight from Houston's George Bush
Intercontinental Airport completed a circuit over the
Gulf of Mexico. The pilots on board executed a
series of tests at 38,000 feet (12,000 m), including
January

Continental

2009

Airlines

Boeing 737

Algae andjatropha

a mid-flight engine shutdown. Larry Kellner, chief

executive of Continental Airlines, said they had
tested a drop-in fuel which meant that no
modification to the engine was required. The fuel
was praised for having a low flash point and
sufficiently low freezing point, issues that have
been problematic for other bio-fuels.[15][16]

January

Japan

2009

Airlines

Japan Airlines conducted a one and a half hour

Boeing 747

Camelina,jatrophaand algae flight with one engine burning a 50/50 mix of JetA and biofuel from the Camelina plant.[17]

The Navy tested this biofuel blend on the FA-18

Super Hornet aka "Green Hornet". Results from
April 2010

US Navy

F/A-18

Camelina

those tests indicated the aircraft performed as

expected through its full flight envelope with no
degradation of capability.[18]

On March 25, 2010, the United States Air Force

conducted the first flight of an aircraft with all
March

US Air

2010

Force

A-10

Camelina

engines powered by a biofuel blend. The flight,

performed on an A-10 at Eglin Air Force Base,
used a 50/50 blend of JP-8 and Camelina-based
fuel.[19]

June 2010

Dutch

Ah-64 Apache

Military

Helicopter

June 2010 EADS

Diamond D42

Waste cooking oil

Algae

Occurred at an air show in Berlin in June 2010.[20]

Flown on 5050 biofuel blend Nov. 18, 2010 in

November
2010

Patuxent River, Md. The helicopter, from Air Test

US Navy

MH-60S Seahawk

Camelina

and Evaluation Squadron 21 at Naval Air Station

Patuxent River tested a fuel mixture made from the
Camelina seed.

November
2010

TAM

Airbus 320

Jatropha

A 5050 biofuel blend of conventional and jatropha

oil[21]

Boeing flew its new model 747-8F to the Paris Air

June 2011 Boeing

Boeing 747-8F

Camelina

Show with all four engines burning a 15% mix of

biofuel from camelina[22]

The first transatlantic biofuels flight using a 50/50

June 2011 Honeywell

Gulfstream G450

Camelina

blend of camelina-based biofuel and petroleumbased fuel.[23][24]

Successfully flew a T-45 training aircraft using

biofuels at the Naval Air Station (NAS) in Patuxent
August
2011

US Navy

T-45

Camelina

River, Maryland. The flight was completed by the

Salty Dogs of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron
23 flying on biofuel mixture of 50/50 petroleumbased JP-5 jet fuel and plant-based camelina.[25]

Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division,

September
2011

US Navy

AV-8B

Camelina

China Lake performed the first bio-fuel flight test in

AV-8B Harrier fromAir Test and Evaluation
Squadron 31.[26]

Air China flew China's first flight using aviation

October
2011

Air China

Boeing 747-400

Jatropha

biofuels. The flight was conducted using Chinese

grown jatropha oil from PetroChina. The flight was
2 hours in duration above Beijing, and used 50%

biofuel in 1 engine.[27]

United / Continental flew a biofuel flight from IAH

to ORD on algae jet fuel supplied by Solazyme.
November Continental
2011

Airlines

Boeing 737-800

Algae

The fuel was partially derived from genetically

modified algae that feed on plant waste and
produce oil. It was the first biofuel-powered air
service in the US.[28]

Alaska Airlines and its sister carrier, Horizon Air,

November Alaska
2011

Airlines

converted 75 flights on their schedules to run on a

Boeing
737andBombardier Algae
Q400

fuel mixture of 80% kerosene and

20% biofuel derived from used cooking oil. The
biofuel was made by Dynamic Fuels, a joint
venture of Tyson Foods and Syntroleum Corp.[29]

Etihad Airways conducted a biofuel flight from Abu

January

Etihad

2012

Airways

Boeing 777-300ER

vegetable cooking oil

Dhabi to Seattle using a combination of traditional

jet fuel and fuel based on recycled vegetable
cooking oil[30]

Porter Airlines used 50/50 mix of biofuel

April 2012

Porter
Airlines

Bombardier Q400

Camelina

(49% Camelina sativa and 1% Brassica

sativa andBrassica carinata

carinataand) and Jet-A fuel in one engine for a

flight from Toronto to Ottawa.[31]

First jet to fly on 100% biofuels that meet

October
2012

petroleum specifications without blending. Fuel

NRC

Dassault Falcon 20 Carinata

was produced by Applied Research Associates

(ARA) and Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) from
carinata oil supplied by Agrisoma Biosciences.[32]

First piston engine aircraft to fly with a 50/50 blend

of aviation biofuel and conventional Jet-A (as
specified by ASTM D7566). First piston engine
March

Paramus

2013

Flying Club

aircraft to fly with a biofuel blend operating under a

Cessna 182

Waste cooking oil

standard (not experimental) airworthiness

certificate. Demonstration flight from North Central
State Airport (KSFZ) in Rhode Island to First Flight
Airport (KFFA) in North Carolina took place on
March 2, 2013. The Cessna 182 had been

converted under STC to be powered by an SMA

jet-fuel diesel cycle piston engine, and the blended
biofuel was provided by SkyNRG of Holland.

Commercial flights[edit]
Date

Jun 2011

Operator

KLM

Platform

Biofuel

Boeing

Used

KLM flew the world's first commercial biofuel flight, carrying 171

737-800

cooking oil

passengers from Amsterdam to Paris[33]

Jatropha,
Jul 2011

Lufthansa

Notes

Airbus

camelina

A321

plants and
animal fats

First German commercial biofuel's flight, and the start of 6 month regular
series of flights from Hamburg to Frankfurt with one of the two engines use
biofuel.[34] It officially ended on January 12, 2012 with a flight from Frankfurt
to Washington and would not take biofuel further unless the biofuel was
more widely produced.[35]

The 1,500 km journey between Amsterdam and Helsinki was fuelled with a
Jul 2011

Finnair

Airbus

Used

A319

cooking oil

mix of 50 per cent biofuel derived from used cooking oil and 50 per cent
conventional jet fuel.[36] Finnair says it will conduct at least three weekly
Amsterdam-to-Helsinki flights using the biofuel blend in both of the
aircraft's engines. Refueling will be done at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.[37]

Jul 2011

Interjet

Aug 2011

AeroMexico

Oct 2011

Airbus
A320

Boeing
777-200

Boeing

Used

Airways

757-200

cooking oil

Boeing

2011

Airlines

737-800

KLM

Boeing

2013

Jatropha

Thomson

November Continental

March 13,

Jatropha

777-

Algae

Used
cooking oil

Flight was powered by 27% jatropha between Mexico City and Tuxtla
Gutierrez[38]

Aeromexico flew the world's first trans-Atlantic revenue flight, from Mexico
City to Madrid with passengers[39]

Thomson flew the UK's first commercial biofuel flight from Birmingham
Airport on one engine using biofuel from used cooking oil, supplied
by SkyNRG[40]

United / Continental flew biofuel flight from IAH to ORD on algae jet fuel,
which supplied by Solazyme[41]

KLM begins weekly flights by a Boeing 777-200 between John F. Kennedy

Airport in New York City, USA and Amsterdams Schiphol Airport,

Netherlands[42] using Biofuel supplied by SkyNRG[43]

206ER

KLM begins weekly flights by an Airbus A330-200 between Queen Beatrix

May 16,
2014

KLM

Airbus

Used

A330-200 cooking oil

International Airport, in OranjestadAruba [44] and Amsterdams Schiphol

Airport, Netherlands (with a stop-over in Bonaire)[42] using Biofuel supplied
bySkyNRG[43]

Aug 4,
2014

Gol

Boeing

Transportes

777-

Areos

206ER

Inedible
corn oil and

Gol Flight 2152 took off from Rio Santos Dumont Airport (SDU) towards

used

Brasilia (BSB) with a 4% mix of bio jetfuel[45]

cooking oil

Nov 7,

Scandinavian Boeing

Used

2014

Airlines

cooking oil

Nov 11,

Scandinavian Boeing

Used

2014

Airlines

cooking oil

737-600

737-700

SAS Flight SK2064 flew their first ever flight using bio-fuel
between Stockholm and stersund using a 10 % blend of JET A1 based
on used cooking oil. It was also the first flight from Arlanda Airport[46]

SAS Flight SK371 flew the first ever Norwegian domestic flight using biofuel between Trondheim and Oslo using a 48 % blend of JET A1 based on
used cooking oil[47]

Environmental effects[edit]
Further information: Biofuel Greenhouse gas emissions
A life cycle assessment by the Yale School of Forestry on jatropha, one source of potential biofuels, estimated using it could
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85% if former agro-pastoral land is used, or increase emissions by up to 60% if
natural woodland is converted to use.[48] In addition, biofuels do not contain sulfur compounds and thus do not emit sulfur
dioxide.
Many different standards exist for certification of sustainable biofuels. One such standard often cited by airlines is the one
developed by the The Roundtable For Sustainable Biofuels. Nearly all such standards include a minimum amount of greenhouse
gas reduction and consideration that biofuels do not compete with food.

See also[edit]