Airbus Announces Chinese Partnership, Opens Student Competition
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Airbus recently announced a partnership with China-based Tsinghua University to complete a sustainability analysis of potential biojet feedstocks in China and to determine the most effective ways to support the development of a biomass value chain to expedite the commercialization of biobased aviation fuels. The development of this type of value chain in China is especially important since the country is home to the world’s fastest-growing aviation market.
According to Airbus, Phase I of the partnership will be managed by Airbus and focus on identifying feedstocks that comply with ecological, economic and social sustainability criteria. During Phase I Airbus will work closely with Tsinghua University and a group of European institutions. The second phase of the partnership will aim narrow down the list of potential feedstocks. Algae and waste cooking oil are two of the feedstocks that the group will analyze.
…Airbus also recently made an announcement regarding its annual Fly Your Ideas global competition for students. In August, the aircraft manufacturer announced that the registration deadline has been set for Nov. 30, with final judging scheduled for June 2013. The Fly for Ideas program is backed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Teams of three to five college students are encouraged to find solutions to solve one of six key challenges facing the aviation industry, one of which is energy. One option under the energy theme encourages students to investigate methods to identify sustainable, renewable sources of fuel or increase source harvesting.
According to Airbus, the challenge is open to college students from any academic discipline. The teams are judged in three rounds by a panel of Airbus and industry experts. The winning team is awarded a €30,000 ($37,800) prize. The runner-up team will be awarded €15,000. READ MORE and MORE (Fly Your Ideas)
