The airlines: who’s doing what in aviation biofuels?

Test Partners

Aeromexico
SAFUG member

Last publicly reported activity: 2011. 

In November 2011, Honeywell Green Jet Fuel, produced using process technology from Honeywell’s UOP, powered Aeroméxico’s Mexico City to San José, Costa Rica route, marking one of the first uses of renewable fuels in everyday airplane passenger service.

Aeroméxico has begun use of Green Jet Fuel made by Honeywell’s UOP on its regular Mexico City to Costa Rica route as part of its “Green Flights” project designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Aeroméxico-operated Boeing 737-700, which carries up to 124 passengers, used a 15 percent blend of Green Jet Fuel made from the inedible plant camelina and petroleum-based fuel.  According to ASA, the Mexican aviation sector expects biofuels to account for 1 percent of the fuel used in Mexico by 2015 and 15 percent by 2020.

Air Canada

Last publicly reported activity: 2013. 

In May 2013, BioFuelNet signed an agreement with Air Canada and Airbus to help them find the most promising biofuels for aviation. Air Canada and Airbus are part of a broad coalition, which has pledged Carbon Neutral Growth from 2020 and to reduce greenhouse emissions by 50 per cent by 2050.

BioFuelNet Canada, a not-for-profit organization hosted by Montreal’s McGill University, will assess the viability of various Canadian advanced biofuels solutions for aviation. Their research will focus on diverse raw materials, such as municipal solid waste and agricultural and forestry waste, as well as a range of conversion processes available for biofuel production. The ultimate goal is to determine which advanced biofuels are the most sustainable for aviation. The agreement was signed at BioFuelNet’s headquarters in the Quartier de l’innovation (QI) in Montreal, on the 13th of May 2013, the day of the official QI launch.

In December 2012, Popular Science magazine named the 100 percent biofuels-fueled test flight this year as one of its 25 “Big Science Stories Of 2012”. The flight involved a partnership including Applied Research Associates, Chevron Lummus Global, the National Research Council of Canada, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and Agrisoma Biosciences. The ReadiJeft fuel flight took place in Ottawa, Canada using carinata developed by Agrisoma and processing technology developed by CLG and ARA.

Air China
SAFUG member

Last publicly reported activity: 2011. 

In November 2011, an Air China Boeing 747-700 was flown on a blend of conventional and renewable jet fuel. This was done under the 2009 U.S. – China energy cooperation program and the May 2010 agreement involving Air China, Boeing, Honeywell UOP, and PetroChina.  As per the agreement, PetroChina provided biomass, which was used by UOP to produce the biofuel.

Air France
SAFUG member

Last publicly reported activity: 2011. 

In October 2011,  Air France completed its first biofuel-powered scheduled passenger flight, running on a 50/50 combination of traditional jet fuel and jet fuel produced from used cooking oil. Together with “optimised” air traffic management (ATM), the flight saved roughly 50% of its CO2 emissions, bringing the per passenger emissions rate down to 54g per kilometer.

Air New Zealand
SAFUG member

Last publicly reported activity: 2011. 

In December 2011, Air New Zealand signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Licella Pty Ltd to examine the development and commercialisation of a process to convert woody biomass into sustainable biofuel in New Zealand. Under the MOU Air New Zealand and Licella agreed to jointly explore the potential of the technology to produce sustainable aviation biofuel in New Zealand.

Air New Zealand conducted a biofuels test flight on 12/30/08.

American Airlines

Last publicly reported activity: 2011. 

In November 2011, despite filing for Chapter 11 on Nov. 30 2011, American Airlines said it would begin biofuel flights in mid-2012 using a Boeing ecoDemonstrator airplane to complete the flight. Around the same time as the Chapter 11 filing, the company signed agreements with two biojet suppliers as well as a purchase agreement.

AviancaTaca
SAFUG member

Last publicly reported activity: 2013. 

In October 2013, Avianca Brasil has selected the Byogy Renewables Alcohol to Jet = fully renewable aviation biofuel process to source their environment friendly alternate low-carbon aviation fuels. Avianca has selected its Airbus A319, powered by CFMI (a partnership between General Electric and SNECMA of France) CFM56 engines, as the fleet member to be used with Byogy for advanced testing and data acquisition which will support the ATJ specification adoption process which is well under way with the global ASTM governing organization.

Azul

Last publicly reported activity: 2012. 

In June 2012, Azul Airlines announced that Amyris’s innovative renewable jet fuel sourced from Brazilian sugarcane had passed all required testing and will be used during a demonstration flight on an Azul Embraer 195 aircraft powered by GE’s CF34-10E engines. The “Azul+Verde” (a Greener Blue) flight will take place in Brazil on Tuesday, June 19th, during the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. Amyris’s renewable jet fuel has been designed to be compliant with Jet A/A-1 fuel specifications and provide equivalent performance versus conventional petroleum-derived fuel in a range of metrics, including fit-for-purpose properties and greenhouse gas emission reduction potential. The feedstock for the renewable jet fuel is sugarcane, a highly desirable biomass that can be produced sustainably in large-scale quantities in Brazil and other tropical countries. Azul is the third largest airline in Brazil, a low-cost carrier connecting 48 destinations, 47 cities, with over 400 daily flights, and a fleet of 54 aircraft including 42 jets (32 Embraer 195 and 10 Embraer 190s) and 12 turboprops (7 ATR 72-600 and 5 ATR 72-200). To date, Azul has served more than 19 million customers.

China Eastern

Last publicly reported activity: 2013. 

In April 2013, an 85-minute Chinese Eastern Airlines flight landing at Shanghai airport on Wednesday was flown on Sinopec’s mix of used cooking oil and palm oil aviation biofuel. The Airbus A320 was said to have flown no differently than when flying on traditional aviation fuel. The biofuel blending level was not reported.

Etihad
SAFUG member

Last publicly reported activity: 2014. 

In January 2014, Boeing, Etihad Airways, Takreer, Total, and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology have announced a collaboration for sustainable aviation biofuels in the UAE.

The collaboration, BIOjet Abu Dhabi: Flight Path to Sustainability, will develop a comprehensive framework for a UAE biofuel supply chain, which is already in motion. Etihad Airways recently completed a 45-minute demonstration flight in a Boeing 777 powered partially by biofuel converted from plants by Total, and refined into jet fuel by Takreer, together representing UAE-produced sustainable aviation biofuel.

The BIOjet Abu Dhabi initiative will focus on research and development and investments in feedstocks production and refining capability in the UAE and globally. Boeing and Etihad Airways have previously collaborated as the founding partners of the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium, which has been researching and developing salt-tolerant plants.

Finnair

Last publicly reported activity: 2014. 

In September 2014,  Finnair flew a A330 from Helsinki to New York on Tuesday partially on used cooking fuel-based jet fuel to highlight the opening of the UN Climate Summit. The fuel was supplied by SkyNRG Nordic, a JV between SkyNRG and Statoil Aviation. The airline says it is hoping to set up a biofuel fueling hub along with partners to help reduce the cost of aviation biofuels and strengthen the supply chain.

Iberia
SAFUG member as part of IATG

Last publicly reported activity: 2011. 

Iberia conducted a test flight on 10/3/11.

Hainan

Last publicly reported activity: 2015. 

In March 2015, Boeing, Hainan Airlines and Sinopec celebrated China’s first passenger flight with sustainable aviation biofuel, a key environmental milestone for China’s commercial aviation industry. The regularly scheduled Hainan Airlines flight – which carried more than 100 passengers from Shanghai to Beijing in a Next-Generation 737-800 – used biofuel made by Sinopec from waste cooking oil collected from restaurants in China. Both of the airplane’s CFM International CFM56-7B engines were powered by a fuel blend of approximately 50 percent aviation biofuel mixed with conventional petroleum jet fuel.

LAN

Last publicly reported activity: 2013. 

In August 2013, LAN completed Colombia’s first second-generation biofuel flight, operating an A320 between Bogota and Cali using camelina fuel. The airline said it chose the recent Bogota-Cali route “because Cali is a strategic city for consolidating LAN’s operations in the country. At the same time, the Cauca Valley led the way in Colombia’s biofuel production, making it a symbolic department to start this type of project in the country.” The airline flew its first biofuel flight between Santiago and Concepcion over a year ago.

In March 2012, Netherlands-based SkyNRG supplied LAN Chile and Air BP Copec for its first commercial flight with second generation jet fuel. The flight, which operated between the Chilean cities of Santiago and Concepcion, was conducted on an Airbus from the A320 family with CFM56-5B motors.  The fuel came from used cooking oil.

The flight ended with an event held in the city of Concepcion, which was attended by Government and local authorities, and also by LAN and Air BP Copec executives.

Executive Vice President of LAN, Enrique Cueto said: “This flight represents a key step towards the future of the industry. At LAN we aim to develop sustainable biofuels for commercial aircraft with a high production potential in South America. Currently, these renewable energy sources play a significant role in global aviation and will affect, increasingly, decision-making in the industry and our company. We want to be pioneers in the use of renewable fuels in South America. ”

Porter Airlines

In April 2012, Porter Airlines conducted the first biofuel-powered revenue flight in Canada. In the successful conclusion to a test program that was launched in 2010, the airline flew one of its Bombardier Q400 turboprops from its base at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to Ottawa using a 50/50 blend of biofuel and Jet A1 fuel in one of its engines.

This is the final step in a two-year project whose key members besides Porter included Targeted Growth, Bombardier Aerospace, and Pratt and Whitney Canada, the manufacturer of the PW150A engines that power the Q400 aircraft.

Qantas
SAFUG member

Last publicly reported activity: 2012. 

In April 2012, Qantas launched Australia’s first commercial biofuels flight from Sydney to Adelaide using a 50/50 blend of cooking-oil derived jet fuel.

Qantas is operating under the AUS$500,000 Emerging Renewables Program grant, which enables Qantas to partner with Shell Australia for a feasibility study of long-term aviation biofuels. Other airlines in the country such as Virgin Australia are also working on aviation biofuels programs.

In February 2011, Solazyme announced that it has begun a collaboration with Qantas, to pursue the potential for commercial production of Solazyme’s microbial derived aviation fuel, Solajet, in Australia. This represents the first collaboration in the Asia-Pacific region to explore the use of Solajet in commercial aviation.  There is currently a six billion liter a year demand for aviation fuel in Australia. Qantas is also working with another US company, Solena, to determine the feasibility of using MSW for production of biojet fuel.

In January 2011, Solena inked a $309 million partnership with British Airways to construct a 16 million gallon aviation biofuels demonstration plant in East London. The London project would utilize up to 500,000 tonnes of waste as feedstock for the project.

Last publicly reported activity: 2010.

In December 2010, Airbus, TAM Airlines, and a group of specialist companies are working to establish a bio-kerosene jet-fuel processing plant in Brazil following a November 22nd TAM Airbus A320 biofuel flight, a first for Latin America.  The group of companies is led by Curcas which specializes in Brazilian renewable energy project development, and the Brazilian biofuel producer, Brasil Ecodiesel.

In November 2010, TAM Airlines held a successful 45-minute test flight running on 50% bio-SPK produced from local jatropha. The CFM56 engined A320 took off from Galeão Antonio Carlos Jobim International airport in Rio de Janeiro. The trial was held in conjunction with Airbus.

Last publicly reported activity: 2011.

In October 2011, Thomson Airways flew passengers from Birmingham to Arrecife, on the Spanish Canary island of Lanzarote, using a combination of used cooking oil and regular jet fuel. The airline had originally hoped to start its biofuel flights the previous July, but experienced delays with testing and safety clearances. It claims that the use of biofuels could reduce the aviation industry’s carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80 percent, and plans to use biofuels across its entire fleet within three years.

Virgin
SAFUG member

Last publicly reported activity: 2011.

In December 2011, Virgin Australia signed an MoU to work with Licella on exploring the potential of the CAT-HTR technology to create an alternative, sustainable source of jet aviation fuel. Under the MoU, Virgin Australia and Licella said they would jointly explore the potential of CAT-HTR through further testing of the aviation fuel the technology produces, with the aim of supporting its certification and reaching a commercial off-take agreement.

In October 2011, Virgin Atlantic teamed with LanzaTech to create renewable jet fuel that will power planes Shanghai and Delhi to Heathrow within two to three years. LanzaTech is working on producing its fuel in India and China, making those two destinations easy targets for implementation of the ‘green fleet.’

Within two to three years Virgin Atlantic said at the time that it planned flights with the new fuel on its routes from Shanghai and Delhi to London Heathrow as LanzaTech and partners develop facilities in China and India. The technology is currently being piloted in New Zealand, a larger demonstration facility will be commissioned in Shanghai this year, and the first commercial operation will be in place in China by 2014. Following successful implementation, a wider roll-out could include operations in the UK and the rest of the world.

Last publicly reported activity: 2014.

In December 2014, Airbus signed an MOU with Emerging Fuels for US sustainable aviation fuels production. EFT has developed an Advanced Fixed Bed F-T reactor and catalyst system that can convert synthesis gas from, it claims, virtually any carbonaceous feedstock into transportation fuels such as renewable diesel and sustainable jet fuel. The company recently signed a cooperation agreement with global energy infrastructure engineering, procurement and construction company Black & Veatch (B&V) that grants B&V exclusivity in representing EFT technologies in select markets and applications.

In January 2014,Airbus and key Malaysian partners have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to assess local solutions for sustainable bio-mass production in Malaysia. The aim is to determine the most suitable feedstocks to ensure that any future jet fuel production in the region is based only on sustainable solutions. The first assessment is expected to be completed by December 2014.

In June 2013, Amyris and Total announced a successful demonstration flight at the Paris Air Show its renewable jet fuel made from Amyris Biofene and, ultimately, from plant sugars.

The Airbus A321 aircraft powered by two Snecma CFM56 jet engines flew from Toulouse to Paris with a blend of renewable jet fuel produced by Amyris and Total. This demonstration flight was in support of the French Initiative for Future Aviation Fuels, which seeks to produce and commercialize alternative, renewable and sustainable aviation fuels in France in the coming years.

Embraer

Last publicly reported activity: 2014.

In Brazil, Boeing and Embraer announced that they will open a joint research center to advance a sustainable aviation biofuel industry in Brazil.Under a memorandum of understanding, the two companies will perform joint biofuel research, as well as fund and coordinate research with Brazilian universities and other institutions. The research will focus on technologies that address gaps in a supply chain for sustainable aviation biofuel in Brazil, such as feedstock production and processing technologies. The companies’ biofuel research center will be located in Sao Jose dos Campos Technology Park.

In March 2012, Boeing, Airbus and Embraer signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on the development of drop-in, affordable aviation biofuels. The three leading airframe manufacturers agreed to seek collaborative opportunities to speak in unity to government, biofuel producers and other key stakeholders to support, promote and accelerate the availability of sustainable new jet fuel sources.

Last publicly reported activity: 2012.

In April 2012, Porter Airlines successfully conducted the first biofuel-powered revenue flight in Canada. In the successful conclusion to a test program that was launched in 2010, the airline flew one of its Bombardier Q400 turboprops from its base at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to Ottawa using a 50/50 blend of biofuel and Jet A1 fuel in one of its engines.