Advanced BioFuels USA

by Jess Hewitt and Jonathan Lewis (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest)  … Many people are confused by the term “biojet,” and the many other terms used to describe this “new fuel”. There is a standard specification that describes this product. Turbine (jet) fuels are covered by the American Society of Testing Materials Standard, (ASTM) D-7566. 

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In general, biojet can is considered to be “synthesized hydrocarbons from renewable sources”, such as biomass – or products produced from biomass. Feedstocks might include organic oils from plants and animals as well as gasified biomass. It is important to note that most renewable synthesized hydrocarbons (biojet fuels) are covered by D-7566, Annexes 2 and 5.

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ADVANTAGES OF BIOJET FUELS

Biojet fuels offer several advantages over petro-jet fuels:

1. When biojet fuel is used for aviation, the Green-House Gas (GHG) emissions can be reduced by 90%, relative to petrojet, a huge environmental benefit. (NREL)
2. Biojet tends to have significantly higher “Net Heats of Combustion”, another way of saying that the fuel has a higher energy density.

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Moreover, less fuel means less fuel weight, allowing for more profitable (increased) utilization of Payload/ZFW. Thus, we can immediately see the financial benefits of going farther with a lower fuel consumption rate.

3. Renewable jet fuels, in conformity with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), are eligible for RIN credits which significantly impact fuel expenses.

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DISADVANTAGES OF BIOJET FUELS

There are disadvantages to the use of biojet fuel (or any jet fuel containing synthesized hydrocarbons), mostly relative to the logistics surrounding its utilization:

1. Most synthetic hydrocarbons are produced in relatively small amounts and represent a very small quantity in comparison to their petrojet counterparts. 

2. The next issue is transporting the new biojet fuel. Even at miniscule amounts, biojet fuel must be transported to airports’ fuel storage facilities. 

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A major hurdle for pipeline access is likely to be receiving permission for biojet to be shipped via pipeline. While biojet is much more widely accepted today, the necessity to prove that the biojet molecules are the same as the petrojet molecules still exists. This same problem may appear at airports also, as in many of the airport fuel communities, biojet may still be viewed as a “contaminant”. (Biojet has its own ASTM Fuel Standard because aircraft engine warranties are based upon ASTM fuel specifications). If D-7566 fuel is not expressly covered in the warranty, an airline will likely not want to risk possible warranty invalidation by using this biojet.

4. The last and biggest hurdle facing widespread commercial utilization of biojet is price. 

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HOW CAN BIOJET COMPETE?

Can biojet ever compete with petro-jet economically? Why would any carrier want to spend more for the biojet option? The first part of the answer lies with the RINs (credit for transportation fuels blending). Biojet (like Renewable Diesel) can qualify for non-ester renewable fuel RINs with equivalence values of 1.6-1.7. With today’s cellulosic fuel RINs at about $1.80, a gallon of this fuel could qualify for a total [cash] credit of $3.06. Furthermore, if the fuel is eligible for the CARB LCFS credits, depending on the fuel’s energy density and CO2 reduction, at today’s LCFS price of about $192, biojet could qualify for another $0.99/gallon credit. Now, even at $5.00/gallon, biojet then becomes much more interesting at its net cost of $0.95/gallon – especially given the increased range and payload capabilities with less overall fuel consumption.

The second part of the answer involves the enhanced performance characteristics of a fuel with an increased energy density. More energy per kilo means less fuel weight and more capacity available for paying passengers or cargo.

Taken together, the advantages of biojet fuel utilization are compelling, especially today when fuel prices for both are virtually at parity, and in an era where airlines have been forced to the point where every single service is an additional cost, the advantages of biojet fuel could have very positive impacts on operating expenses.

Biojet is the fuel of the future and there are experts available to work with carriers and engine manufacturers to determine optimum blend percentages for optimal performance and maximum economic advantages.  READ MORE