Fly the Bio Skies: 10 Milestones in the Summer of Aviation biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …But in many respects, its been a summer about aviation biofuels – starting with the demonstration of the US Navy’s Green Strike Group and continuing to announcements of projects right through the summer. The story has internationalized, the technologies are broadening, and more and more blue-chip players are making serious steps towards commercial deployment.
Here were 10 milestones you might have missed.
1. At the beginning of the summer, the Green Strike Group got underway at RIMPAC. The United States Navy may be laboring under a congressional ban on biofuel purchases that cost more than bargain basement fossil fuels, but no one said the Navy can’t burn the biofuel it’s already got. …
2. In mid-June, the DOE released details of a long-awaited funding opportunityannouncement for advanced biofuels for aviation and military applications, titled “Innovative Pilot and demonstration-scale production of advanced biofuels.” …
3. Right before (US) Independence Day, the Air Force tested Gevo’s alcohol-to-fuel jetfuel made from isobutanol in an Air Force A-10 Thunder Bolt on June 28 at Elgin Air Force Base. …
4. In early July, Canada’s National Research Council funded test flights in May and June of a Dassault Falcon 20 to test renewable aviation fuel produced from domestically-produced brassica carinata feedstock. …
5. Also in early July, GE committed to buy 5 million gallons of biofuels annually for its aviation division, starting in January 2015. …
6. In mid-July, Lufthansa said that it believes that A1 jet fuel will remain the main aviation fuel for the next 20 years but does expect renewable jet fuel to replace up to 5% of the market in the next five to seven years. … READ MORE