Commercial aircraft are a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, but manufacturers and operators are taking steps to tackle the problem. Operators such as Virgin Atlantic have conducted demonstration flights using biofuel, and now KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has completed its first ever passenger flight powered by sustainable kerosene. Using a 50 percent biokerosene/50 percent normal jet fuel mix to power one of its four engines, a Boeing 747 carrying 40 selected passengers circled the Netherlands for an hour in what KLM claims is the first flight of its kind in Europe.                                                   

The green jet fuel used for the flight was converted from oil from camelina, an inedible plant, using a process originally developed in 2007 by UOP, a Honeywell subsidiary working under a contract from the U.S. The process is based on hydroprocessing technology commonly used in today’s refineries to produce transportation fuels. In this process, hydrogen is added to remove oxygen from natural oils produced from sustainable feedstocks including camelina, jatropha and algae.

According to Peter Hartman – chief executive of KLM – the aviation biofuel used in this instance was capable of inducing a maximum 80 per cent reduction in associated aviation CO2 emissions over standard aircraft jet fuel.  “We hope to receive certification at the end of 2010”, he added.

Greenhouse gas emissions created by aircraft powering their way through the world’s skies are reported to represent up to four per cent of the global emissions total.  According to experts, as much as 2.4 billion tonnes of aviation-related CO2 emissions could have been released by the middle of this century – a figure that would take the industry’s global share much higher (and four times over current levels).  On this basis, commercial and military aircraft producers and operators alike are researching new sustainable fuel types. 

“We have demonstrated that it [commercial aviation biofuel power] is possible”, KLM’s Hartman stressed.  “Government, industry and society at large must now join forces to ensure that we quickly gain access to a continuous supply of biofuel.”

Hartman said the industry has “demonstrated” that clean, sustainable air transport is technically feasible and called on governments and industry “to join forces to ensure that we quickly gain access to a continuous supply of biofuel.”

Previous biofuel test flights, operated without passengers, were conducted by Japan Airlines, Continental Airlines and Air New Zealand (ATWOnline, Feb. 2). ANZ announced the results of its biofuel flight at ATW’s 2009 Eco-Aviation conference (ATWOnline, May 28).

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