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Boeing Joins Aviation, Energy and Academic Leaders to Accelerate Development and Availability of Sustainable Biofuels

Written by thomas · Filed Under Commercial 

September 26, 2008

thomas

Environmental groups applaud effort to develop sustainable fuel
alternatives

SEATTLE, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) has, with
leading air carriers and Honeywell’s UOP, a refining technology developer,
established a group to accelerate the development and commercialization of
sustainable new aviation fuels. With support and advice from the world’s
leading environmental organizations, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Users Group makes commercial aviation the first global transportation
sector to voluntarily drive sustainability practices into its fuel supply
chain.

The group’s charter is to enable the commercial use of renewable fuel
sources that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while lessening
commercial aviation’s exposure to oil price volatility and dependence on
fossil fuels. Airlines supporting the sustainable fuels initiative include
Air France, Air New Zealand, ANA (All Nippon Airways), Cargolux, Gulf Air,
Japan Airlines, KLM, SAS and Virgin Atlantic Airways. Collectively, they
account for approximately 15 percent of commercial jet fuel use.

“We welcome the aviation sector’s will to reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions, and appreciate their efforts to ensure the sustainability of
their biofuels sourcing,” said Jean-Philippe Denruyter, WWF global
bioenergy coordinator and Steering Board member of the Roundtable on
Sustainable Biofuels. “By teaming up with the Roundtable on Sustainable
Biofuels, the aviation sector can build on an existing solid
multi-stakeholder process that will reinforce this initiative.”

All group members subscribe to a sustainability pledge
(http://www.boeing.com/commercial/environment/pdf/sustainable_aviation_fuel
_us ers_group.pdf) stipulating that any sustainable biofuel must perform as
well as, or better than, kerosene-based fuel, but with a smaller carbon
lifecycle. The user’s group pledged to consider only renewable fuel sources
that minimize biodiversity impacts: fuels that require minimal land, water
and energy to produce, and that don’t compete with food or fresh water
resources. In addition, cultivation and harvest of plant stocks must
provide socioeconomic value to the local communities.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for leading airlines, supported by
well-respected energy and environmental organizations, to help commercial
aviation take control of its future fuel supply in terms of origin,
sustainability and environmental impacts,” said Billy Glover, managing
director, Environmental Strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The
number one priority going forward is to complete thorough assessments of
sustainable plant sources, harvesting and economic impacts, and processing
technologies that can help achieve that goal.”

The group has announced two initial sustainability research projects.
Assistant Professor Rob Bailis of Yale University’s School of Forestry &
Environmental Studies, through funding provided by Boeing, will conduct the
first peer-reviewed, comprehensive sustainability assessment of jatropha
curcas to include lifecycle CO2 emissions and the socio-economic impacts to
farmers in developing nations. Similarly, NRDC will conduct a comprehensive
assessment of algae to ensure it meets the group’s stringent sustainability
criteria.

Both species may potentially become part of a portfolio of
biomass-based renewable fuel solutions that, through advanced fuel
processing methodologies developed by energy sector leaders such as UOP,
can help aviation diversify its fuel supply.

“This taskforce comes at just the right time to help airlines cut costs
and decrease their greenhouse gas emissions,” said Liz Barratt-Brown, NRDC
senior attorney. “If done right, sustainable biofuels could lower the
airlines’ carbon footprint at a time when all industries need to be moving
away from fuels with high levels of greenhouse gas emissions, especially
high carbon tar sands and liquid coal.”

SOURCE Boeing Commercial Airplanes

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