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7/31/2019 SAYGIN GONC (Alternative Fuel Concepts)
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SAYGIN GÖNÇ
AVIMA 10
Manufacturers Management
27/02/2012Lecturer: Christian Bergner
Alternative Fuel Concepts
- The Aviation Biofuels -
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2 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
Contents
1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................................ 31.2 Situation in Aviation Industry ........................................................................................................ 3
2. Biofuels ................................................................................................................................................ 7
2.1 What are biofuels? ........................................................................................................................ 7
2.2 Second Generation Biofuels .......................................................................................................... 9
2.2.1 Camelina ................................................................................................................................. 9
2.2.2 Algae ..................................................................................................................................... 10
2.2.3 Jatropha ................................................................................................................................ 10
2.2.4 Halophytes ............................................................................................................................ 10
2.2.5 Household and Municipal Waste ......................................................................................... 11
2.3 Biofuels in Aviation Industry........................................................................................................ 11
2.3.1 Technical Challenges ............................................................................................................ 12
2.3.2 Sustainability Challenges ...................................................................................................... 12
2.3.3 Testing and Approval ............................................................................................................ 13
2.3.3.1 Demonstration Flights ................................................................................................... 15
2.3.3.2 Commercial Flights ........................................................................................................ 17
2.3.4 Economic Viability ................................................................................................................ 17
3. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 19
Bibliography ....................................................................................................................................... 20
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3 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
1. Introduction
1.1 Overview
Concerns over environmental issues and diminishing supply of fossil fuels have intensified
the search for alternative source of energy. It is well known that petroleum reserves are
limited resources and the date of the global peak in oil production is fixed between 1996 and
2035. In the current situation, oil prices are volatile while supplies are unstable. Besides its
vulnerability in energy supply and demand, the world is still depending on petroleum for the
main source of energy. An alternative and renewable energy source is eminent to solve the
current issues of over dependence on fossil fuels for energy (Demirbaş, 2008).
This is the reason why new sources of energy and preferably renewable energies (e.g biomass,
wind, solar energy) are being deeply studied and gradually applied in order to substitute fossil
fuels. One such solution is to process agricultural residues as an energy source.
The newly introduced biomass energy technologies use waste or plant matter to produce
energy with a lower level of greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuel sources. Biomass can
be converted into liquid and gaseous fuels through thermochemical and biological routes. The
term biofuel is referred to liquid or gaseous fuels for the transport sector that are mainly
produced from biomass. A variety of fuels can be obtained from biomass resources including
liquid fuels, such as ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, and gaseous fuels,
such as hydrogen and methane (Demirbaş, 2008).
The interest in the biofuels production is due to energy security reasons, environmental
concerns, foreign exchange savings, and socioeconomic issues related to the rural sector.
Biofuel offers several advantages to the environment and sustainability.
1.2 Situation in Aviation Industry
The world‟s transport system is highly oil dependent and aviation is no exception, it can
actually be counted as the most oil dependent transportation type. Annually 2.4 billion
passengers enter an aeroplane to be transported to another city, country or continent.
Today almost 100 per cent of aviation fuel is extracted from crude oil, a fossil fuel subject to
depletion. The characteristics of air travel mean that a lot of caution must be taken when
introducing new fuels; being 10,000 meters in the air provides no room for failure and tests
for approving aviation fuel are therefore rigorous. Petroleum in the form of crude oil has been
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4 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
used for the past one hundred years in a steadily increasing amount. Most crude oil was found
in the sixties and has been continuously extracted since. Eventually production will reach its
maximum and start to decline. Many of the oil producing countries have reached that peak
and their production is declining, for example the USA reached its maximum level in 1970
and Norway in 2003. Today more oil is consumed than found.
Today, Aviation industry experiences with regard to its economic and environmental issues a
challenging situation. The oil price has taken an unpredictable, most positive, trend due to
probable economical and political crisis and airlines are particularly vulnerable to substantial
price increases, which have tripled during the past decade and worries about remaining oil
resources are growing more and more.
At the same time, aviation industry is under extreme pressure from socio-environmental
community due to its increasing contribution in large ratio in producing GHG and CO 2
emissions as well as destroying the environment due to use of fossil fuels for its vehicles.
Rapid growth in air traffic by purchasing more aircraft than before caused all new measures to
be compensated negatively. In 2010, the commercial aviation industry produced 649 million
tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2). According to the International Energy Agency, emissions
from aviation industry accounts for about 2% of the total man-made CO 2 emissions by (See
Figure 1),
Fig.1: Global CO 2 Emissions
(Source Air Transport Action Group – ATAG)
but they are increasing rapidly – by 80% since 1960s and also forecasted that by 2012,
aviation emissions are likely to more than double from present level (See Figure 2).
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5 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
Fig.2: Total tonnes of CO2 emitted by aviation over the last 10 years and forecast to 2012
(Source Air Transport Action Group – ATAG)
So, inevitably efforts have been oriented around more eco-friendly and sustainable technologyby designing and manufacturing modern engines that are more fuel-efficient with less noise
during these years. New engine concepts for Airbus A320-neo and Boeing 787 are the signs
of these measures. The airlines and the aircraft manufacturers keep improving the planning
and routing of traffic and keep improving the fuel efficiency of airplanes to meet the goal of
less jet fuel consumption. The aviation industry has actually gone through huge development
since the first commercial aircraft came in to service. In the last 40 years, manufacturers have
cut fuel burn and CO2 emissions by 70%, NOx emissions by 75% and noise by 90%, with
work continuing to deliver further improvements (See Figure 3).
Fig3: Historical trend for average fuel consumption of the global fleet of aircraft
(Source Boeing)
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6 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
In the last decade the demand for jet fuel has increased 3%, whilst traffic in terms of RPKs
(Revenue Passenger Kilometres) has increased 45%. Aviation will continue to strive to
become ever more eco-efficient, reducing fuel burn per aircraft to the benefit of the
environment and airlines, who face the prospect of fuel being a significant portion of their
operating costs in the years to come (Airbus, 2011).
The Association of European Airlines (2008) declared that the current average fuel
consumption is less than 5 litres/100 RPK, and that the modern aircraft consume approxi-
mately 3.5 litres/100 RPK (Nygren, Kjell, & Höök, 2009).
However, increasing demand for air travel and as a result the airlines‟ tendency to expanding
their fleet would outstrip the mentioned fuel-efficiency developments. Rate of crude oil
production will not keep pace with such demand; consequently, the industry has been forced
to introduce alternative fuels with less impact on environment and higher productivity.
Among options as drop-in alternative jet fuel, only synthetic manufactured fuels and biofuels
are currently found (Dagget, Hadaller, Hendricks, & Walther, 2006).
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7 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
2. Biofuels
2.1 What are biofuels?
Theoretically, biofuels can be produced from any renewable biological carbon material,
although the most common sources are plants that absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) and use
sunlight to grow (ATAG, 2011).
They are combustible liquids that store the energy derived from biomass such as plant crops
or animal fats. Crops with high oil content such as soybeans, rapeseed (canola), and
sunflowers are the starting materials used to produce bio-oils or bio-blending components that
can be mixed with petroleum fuels (Dagget, Hadaller, Hendricks, & Walther, 2006).
International Energy Agency predicted in its 2010 report as in figure 4, that among all
available energy modes, biofuels will constitute 23% share of energy market used in the
transportation sector. Of this, about 26% will be utilized to propel the aircraft engines and
other facilities in aviation industry; the most significant are ethanol and biodiesel.
Fig.4: (left) Global Energy Use in The Transport Sector and (Right) Use of Biofuels in Different Transport
Modes in 2010
(Source International Energy Agency - IEA)
Globally, biofuels are most commonly used for transport, home heating, power generation
from stationary engines, and for cooking.
The other most common feedstock sources for making biofuels are plants rich in sugars.
Crops that are rich in sugars (such as sugar cane) or starch (such as corn) can be processed to
release their sugar content. This is fermented to make ethanol, which can be used directly as a
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8 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
petroleum substitute or additive. These fuels, known as first-generation biofuels, are typically
not suitable for use in aircraft, as they do not have the necessary performance and safety
attributes for modern jet engine use and often come from feed stocks that are not sustainable.
When compared to fossil fuels, sustainably produced biofuels result in a reduction in CO2
emissions across their life cycle. Carbon dioxide absorbed by plants during the growth of the
biomass is roughly equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide produced when the fuel is
burned in a combustion engine – which is simply returned to the atmosphere. This would
allow the biofuel to be approximately carbon neutral over its life cycle (See figure 5).
Fig.5: Carbon Lifecycle Diagram of Biofuels
(Source Air Transport Action Group – ATAG)
However, there are emissions produced during the production of biofuels, from the equipment
needed to grow the crop, transport the raw goods, refine the fuel and so on. When these
elements are accounted for, many biofuels are still expected to provide an anticipated
reduction in overall CO2 lifecycle emissions of up to 80% compared to fossil fuels (ATAG,
2011).
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9 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
Figure 6: Camelina
2.2 Second Generation Biofuels
The production of first-generation biofuels (derived from food crops such as rapeseed,
sugarcane and corn – which can also be used as food for human and animals) has raised a
number of important questions. These include questions about changes in use of agricultural
land, the effect on food prices and the impact of irrigation, pesticides and fertilisers on local
environments. In addition, some of the first-generation biofuels, such as biodiesel and ethanol
(produced from corn) are not suitable fuels for powering commercial aircraft. Many of these
fuels don‟t meet the high performance or safety specifications for jet fuel (ATAG, 2011).
Learning from the experience of other industries, the aviation industry is therefore looking at
second-generation biofuels that are sustainable. This new generation of biofuels is derived
from non-food crop sources. Second-generation biofuels can also be mass grown in a range of
locations, including deserts and salt water. Each of the second-generation feedstocks being
investigated for aviation use has the potential to deliver large quantities of greener and
potentially cheaper fuel. It is unlikely, however, that the aviation industry will rely on just one
type of feedstock. Some feedstocks are better suited to some climates and locations than
others and so the most appropriate crop will be grown in the most suitable location. It is likely
that aircraft will be powered by blends of biofuel from different types of feedstock along with
jet fuel (ATAG, 2011).
Some potential sustainable aviation biofuel feedstocks are as follows;
2.2.1 Camelina
Camelina is primarily an energy crop, with high lipid oil
content. The main market for camelina oil is as a
feedstock to produce renewable fuels. The left over solid
„meal‟ from the oil extraction process can also be used as
a feed supplement for poultry and livestock. Camelina is
often grown as a rotational crop with wheat and other
cereal crops when the land would otherwise be left fallow
(unplanted) as part of the normal crop rotation programme. It therefore provides growers with
an opportunity to diversify their crop base and reduce mono-cropping (planting the same crop
year after year), which has been shown to degrade soil and reduce yields and resistance to
pests and diseases (ATAG, 2011).
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10 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
Figure 7: Algae
Figure 8: Jatropha
Figure 9: Halophytes
2.2.2 Algae
Algae are potentially the most promising feedstock for producing large quantities of sustainable aviation
biofuel. These microscopic plants can be grown in
polluted or salt water, deserts and other inhospitable
places. They thrive on carbon dioxide, which makes
them ideal for carbon capture (absorbing carbon dioxide)
from sources like power plants. One of the biggest
advantages of algae for oil production is the speed at which the feedstock can grow. It has
been estimated that algae produces up to 15 times more oil per square kilometre than other
biofuel crops. Another advantage of algae is that it can be grown on marginal lands that aren‟t
used for growing food, such as on the edges of deserts (ATAG, 2011).
2.2.3 Jatropha
Jatropha is a plant that produces seeds containing inedible lipid
oil that can be used to produce fuel. Each seed produces 30 to
40% of its mass in oil. Jatropha can be grown in a range of
difficult soil conditions, including arid and otherwise non-arableareas, leaving prime land available for food crops. The seeds are
mildly toxic to both humans and animals and are therefore not a
food source (ATAG, 2011).
2.2.4 Halophytes
Halophytes are salt marsh grasses and other saline habitat species
that can grow either in salt water or in areas affected by sea spray
where plants would not normally be able to grow. These plants
have special physiological adaptations that enable them to absorb
water from soils and from seawater, which have solute
concentrations that nonhalophytes could not tolerate. Some
halophytes are actually succulents, with a high water-storage
capacity (ATAG, 2011).
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11 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
Figure 10: Municipal Waste
2.2.5 Household and Municipal Waste
Biofuel feedstock does not just need to be grown. Household
and municipal waste is also a very promising source of
sustainable aviation biofuels, not to mention the waste by-
products of the forestry industry or the cultivation of crops.
Advanced planning is already underway for building a
number of biofuel plants that use such varied waste as wood
products, paper, food scraps, forestry waste, agricultural
residues, industrial residues, animal by-products, sewage and
municipal solid waste, which through various processes can potentially be turned into jet fuel.
These may provide feedstock sources to complement the specially grown biofuel supply and
could also prevent several hundred million tonnes of waste from entering landfill sites
annually (ATAG, 2011).
2.3 Biofuels in Aviation Industry
As mentioned in the Introduction, rate of developing High-Technology in designing more
efficient engines cannot keep pace with increasing rate of air traffic, booming aviation market
and growing pressure of governments and society for having more environmentally andenergy-efficient procedures in these years. Demands for stabilizing the energy supplies,
turmoil in oil market and its probable financial dangers, and most significantly, concerns for
increasing negative contribution in global warming issue, have forced aviation industry to
look for a new substitute for current jet fuels.
At this stage, there is no foreseeable new technology to power flight beyond hydrocarbon
fuels. Hydrogen can be burned in a turbine engine for aviation. However, there are significant
technical challenges in designing a hydrogen-powered aircraft for commercial aviation and in
producing enough hydrogen in a sustainable way to supply the industry‟s needs. There is
research underway using nanotechnology as a potential for storing hydrogen in a convenient
and safe way for air transport, but the conclusion of this research and potential
commercialisation is a long way off. The use of sustainable biofuels can provide the air
transport industry with a near term solution to provide a fuel with a lower environmental
impact than petroleum-based fuels (ATAG, 2011).
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12 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
2.3.1 Technical Challenges
Second-generation biofuels must have the ability to directly substitute and mix with
traditional jet fuel for aviation (known as Jet A and Jet A-1) and have the same qualities and
characteristics. This is important to ensure that manufacturers do not have to redesign engines
or aircraft and that fuel suppliers and airports do not have to develop new fuel delivery
systems. At present, the industry is focused on producing biofuels from sustainable sources
that will enable the fuel to be a “drop-in” replacement to traditional jet fuel. Drop-in fuels are
combined with the petroleum-based fuel either as a blend or potentially as a 100%
replacement. Some biofuels, such as biodiesel and ethanol, are not suitable fuels for powering
commercial aircraft. Many of these fuels don‟t meet the high performance or safety
specifications for jet fuel. Recent advances in fuel production technology have resulted in jet
fuel produced from bio-derived sources that not only meets but exceeds many of the current
specifications for jet fuel (ATAG, 2011).
2.3.2 Sustainability Challenges
Many first-generation biofuel sources, such as ethanol produced from corn, compete for
valuable land with food crops and can contribute to deforestation and pressure on freshwater
resources. The aviation industry is committed to using only biofuels that are grown in asustainable way that do not put food security at risk by competing for land or water with food
crops.
International Energy Agency have also enumerated in its 2012 road map for biofuels, used in
transportation, creating a financial support scheme to the sustainable performance of biofuels
as one of its 10 steps for the next 10 years in order to ensure more than 50% life-cycle GHG
emission savings for all biofuels.
Both the EU and the US have introduced regulatory standards (Renewable Energy Directive
(RED) in the EU, Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in the US) prescribing criteria that biofuels
for industrial applications have to meet in order to be eligible for incentives or to be counted
towards a biofuel blend or volume mandate. In particular, specific GHG reduction thresholds
are required by these standards (IATA, 2011). Unfortunately the different existing
sustainability standards do not only cover different criteria, but also use different
methodologies to determine impact parameters such as lifecycle GHG emissions. For
aviation, due to its global and border-crossing nature, these divergent regulations make it
difficult to make best use of incentives for biojet fuel.
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13 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
The RSB (Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels) is the most comprehensive existing biofuel
standard, which goes beyond RED and RFS2 and also extends the requirements into the social
domain. The RSB Global Sustainability Standard is a universal standard, which describe the
requirements for sustainably-produced biofuels and biomass. The following issues are set by
RSB as the red line in sustainability, which will impact both human and environment:
Degradation of water, air and soils.
Loss of biodiversity and wildlife habitat
Infringement of the land and water rights of indigenous peoples
Unacceptable working conditions and lack of benefit sharing for local communities
Potential effects on food security
Increased GHG emissions.
For instance, by Greenhouse Gas emissions RSB standard mentions that biofuels should
contribute to mitigate the GHG emissions across the life cycle:
“Biofuel blends shall have on average 50% lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions relative
to the fossil fuel baseline. Each biofuel in the blend shall have lower lifecycle GHG emissions
than the fossil fuel baseline.” (Criteria 3c)
The RSB is in close contact with members of the aviation industry, including airlines, biojet
producers, aircraft manufacturers and other stakeholders, in order to work towards the
production of sustainable and certified aviation biofuel. Aviation operations are inherently
international, so it is essential that bio-jet purchased in one region and meeting local
sustainability criteria would be recognized as sustainable at that aircraft‟s destination (IATA,
2011).
2.3.3 Testing and Approval
Safety is the aviation industry's top priority. Given this and the specific requirements of any
fuels used in aircraft, the process for testing potential new fuels is particularly rigorous.
Through testing in laboratories, in equipment on the ground, and under the extreme operating
conditions that the aviation industry requires, an exhaustive process determines those biofuels
that are suitable for aviation (Dagget, Hadaller, Hendricks, & Walther, 2006).
Because of the very strict standards required in the aviation industry, biofuels are needed to be
approved as safe and appropriate for commercial use. The aviation industry worked closely
with fuel specification bodies, such as the ASTM (American Society of Testing and
Materials) International and the UK‟s Defence Standards Agency.
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14 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
Researchers developed a biofuel that has similar properties to traditional jet fuel, Jet A-1. This
is important because fuel is used for many purposes inside the aircraft and engine, including
as a lubricant, cooling fluid and hydraulic fluid, as well as for combustion (IATA, 2011).
Tests look at specific fuel consumption at several power settings from ground idle to take-off
speed, which is then compared to performance with traditional Jet A-1. Tests are also
completed on the amount of time it takes for the engine to start, how well the fuel stays
ignited in the engine and how the fuel performs in acceleration and deceleration. Tests are
also completed to ensure that the fuels don‟t have a negative impact on the materials used in
building aircraft and components. Finally, an emissions test determines the exhaust emissions
and smoke levels for the biofuels (ATAG, 2011).
Once the lab and on-the-ground testing have been completed, the fuel is ready to be tested on
aircraft under normal operating conditions. A number of airlines provided aircraft for biofuel
flight trials designed to:
provide data to support fuel qualification and certification for use by the aviation
industry;
demonstrate that biofuels are safe and that they work; and
stimulate research and development into biofuels.
During a flight, pilots perform a number of ordinary and not-so-ordinary tests to ensure the
fuel can withstand use under any operating condition (See Figure 11).
The approval process has three parts:
the test program;
the original equipment manufacturer internal review; and
determination by the specification body as to the correct specification for the fuel
Fig. 11: Flight trials – evaluation of engine performance during all phases of flight: including a number of
extraordinary “manoeuvres” (e.g. shutting down the engine in-flight and ensuring it can restart)
(Source Air Transport Action Group – ATAG)
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15 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
The approval process looks at a minimum of 11 key properties, including energy density,
freezing point, appearance, composition, volatility, fluidity and many other characteristics that
will make it fit for aviation use (ATAG, 2011).
ASTM International and other lead certification agencies, have spent the last couple of years
working with various parties across the aviation industry, fuel suppliers and researchers
before committing to change the specification of aviation jet fuel to include fuel from sources
other than fossil fuels (IATA, 2011). The agencies approved one process for biofuel
production – „biomass to liquid‟ using the Fischer -Tropsch process – in 2009, and in July
2011, approval was granted to conduct passenger flights using biofuel produced through the
„hydro- processed esters and fatty acids‟ process. There are a number of other processes that
can potentially be used to produce biofuels suitable for aviation: testing and evaluation iscurrently underway for these. Following this approval, airlines are now able to use biofuels in
commercial passenger flights up to a blend of 50% with Jet A-1.
Since 2008, a large number of test flights have been conducted, and since ASTM approval in
July 2011, several commercial flights with passengers have also occurred.
2.3.3.1 Demonstration Flights
Date Operator Platform Biofuel Notes
Feb
2008
Virgin
Atlantic
Boeing
747
Coconut
and
Babassu
Virgin flew the very first biofuel test flight between
London and Amsterdam, using a 20% blend of
biofuels in one of its engines
Dec
2008
Air New
Zealand
Boeing
747
Jatropha 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. 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
performances were found.
Jan
2009
Continental
Airlines
Boeing
737
Algae and
jatropha
Continental Airlines ran the first flight of an algae-
fueled 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
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.
Jan
2009
Japan
Airlines
Boeing
747
Camelina,
jatropha
and algae
Japan Airlines conducted a one and a half hour
flight with one engine burning a 50/50 mix of Jet-A
and biofuel from the Camelina plant.
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16 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
Apr
2010
US Navy F/A-18 Camelina The Navy tested this biofuel blend on the F⁄A-18
Super Hornet aka "Green Hornet". Results from
those tests indicated the aircraft performed as
expected through its full flight envelope with no
degradation of capability.
Mar2010
US Air Force A-10 Wastecooking oil
On March 25, 2010, the United States Air Forceconducted the first flight of an aircraft with all
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.
Jun
2010
EADS Diamond
D42
Algae Occurred at an air show in Berlin in June 2010.
Nov
2010
US Navy MH-60S
Seahawk
Camelina Flown on 50⁄50 biofuel blend in Patuxent River,
Md. The helicopter, from Air Test and Evaluation
Squadron 21 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River
tested a fuel mixture made from the Camelina
seed.Nov
2010
TAM Airbus
320
Jatropha A 50⁄50 biofuel blend of conventional and jatropha
oil
Jun
2011
Boeing Boeing
747-8F
Camelina Boeing flew its new model 747-8F to the Paris Air
Show with all four engines burning a 15% mix of
biofuel from camelina
Aug
2011
US Navy T-45 Camelina Successfully flew a T-45 training aircraft using
biofuels at the Naval Air Station in Patuxent River,
Maryland. The flight was completed by the “Salty
Dogs” of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23
flying on biofuel mixture of 50/50 petroleum-based
JP-5 jet fuel and plant-based camelina.Sep
2011
US Navy AV-8B Camelina Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China
Lake performed the first bio-fuel flight test in AV-
8B Harrier from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron
(VX) 31.
Oct
2011
Air China Boeing
747-400
Jatropha Air China flew China's first flight using aviation
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.
Jan
2012
Etihad
Airways
Boeing
777-
300ER
Vegatable
cooking oil
Etihad Airways conducted a biofuel flight from Abu
Dhabi to Seattle using a combination of traditional
jet fuel and fuel based on recycled vegatable
cooking oil
Table 1: List of demonstration flights done so farSource (Wikipedia, 2012)
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17 Alternative Fuel Concepts – The Aviation Biofuels
2.3.3.2 Commercial Flights
Date Operator Platform Biofuel Notes
Jun 2011 KLM Boeing
737-800 Used
cooking oil KLM flew the world's first commercial biofuel
flight, carrying 171 passengers from
Amsterdam to Paris Jul 2011 Lufthansa Airbus
A321
Jatropha,
camelina
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. It officially end at
January 12, 2012 with a flight from Frankfurt
to Washington and would not take biofuel
further unless the biofuel was more widely
produced.
Jul 2011 Finnair Airbus
A319
Used
cooking oil
The 1,500 km journey between Amsterdam
and Helsinki was fuelled with a mix of 50 per
cent biofuel derived from used cooking oiland 50 per cent conventional jet fuel. 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.
Jul 2011 Interjet Airbus
A320
Jatropha Flight was powered by 27% jatropha between
Mexico City and Tuxtla Gutierrez
Aug 2011 AeroMexico Boeing
777-200
Jatropha Aeromexico flew the world's first trans-
Atlantic revenue flight, from Mexico City to
Madrid with passengers Oct 2011 Thomson
Airways
Boeing
757-200
Used
cooking oil
Thomson flew the UK's first commercial
biofuel flight from Birmingham Airport on
one engine using biofuel from used cooking
oil, supplied by SkyNRG
November
2011 Continental
Airlines
Boeing
737-800
Algae United / Continental flew biofuel flight from
IAH to ORD on algae jet fuel, which supplied
by Solazyme
2.3.4 Economic Viability
Challenges in the jet fuel supply chain are intensifying, making investment in Biofuels
essential. The price of jet fuel is on the rise again. During 2010, increasing demand for oil
pushed jet fuel prices up from $88 a barrel at the start of the year to $107 a barrel by year end.
The 12-month average was $91 a barrel, a rise of almost 30% from average 2009 levels.
Hedging and fuel efficiency gains provided some protection but, even so, the airline industry
fuel bill rose more than 11% to $139 billion in 2010, equivalent to 26% of operating
expenses.
Table 2: List ofcommercial flights done so farSource (Wikipedia, 2012)
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3. Conclusion
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
industry represents 2% of global emissions, but is expected to grow to 3% by 2050. In
addition to building more fuel efficient aircraft and operating them more efficiently, the
industry has identified the development of biofuels as one of the major ways it can reduce its
greenhouse gas emissions. Biofuels derived from sustainable oil crops such as jatropha,
camelina and algae or from wood and waste biomass can reduce the overall carbon footprint
of industry partially, and perhaps one day fully, replace carbon-intensive petroleum fuels.
Now that biofuels for aviation have been approved as suitable for use on commercial flights,
one of the biggest challenges is cultivating the required quantity of feedstock. The worldwide
aviation industry consumes some 1.5 to 1.7 billion barrels of Jet A-1 annually (IATA, 2011).
Analysis suggests that a viable market for biofuels can be maintained when as little as 10% of
the world‟s aircraft fleet is running on a blend of 10% biofuel and 90% Jet A-1. Some parts of
the aviation industry have put in place a goal to operate the fleet using 25% biofuel by 2025,
which would be increased to 30% by 2030 (ATAG, 2011). However, for these targets to be
reached, it is necessary to produce sustainable feedstock in commercial-scale quantities.
In any case, the amount of biofuel that can be supplied is a number of years away from
reaching 50% of the jet fuel market. But the continued testing and development of new
processes and feedstock will yield useful data to support revision of the specifications to
allow more flexibility in the supply chain, as well as potential benefits in terms of fuel price
stability and availability.
But, the most significant challenge is not in developing viable alternative fuels that could
reduce aviation's Greenhouse gas emission but in developing the large scale production of
next generation of biomass feedstock that could be produced in a sustainable manner.
Introducing biofuels as a substitute for jet fuel in the near future would count for aviation
industry, which is faced with the problem of providing sustainable and energy-efficient fuel,
as a milestone.
The fossil fuel industry has a 100-year head start compared to sustainable biofuels, which arestill emerging technologically.
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http://www.airbus.com/company/market/forecast/passenger-aircraft-market-forecast/
ATAG. (2011, September). Beginner’s Guide to Aviation Biofuels. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from
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Dagget, D., Hadaller, O., Hendricks, R., & Walther, R. (2006). Alternative Fuels and Their Potential
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviation_biofuel