Joachim Buse, Lufthansa airline’s head of aviation biofuel, last week said at an industry event in Washington, D.C. that biofuels could be the industry’s standard fuel in five to seven years.

According to Air Transport World, the airline executive said his company’s burnFAIR project has shown that biofuels are a feasible proposition for commercial flights from a technological point of view. What needs to be done now is to make sure there is enough production and from sustainable feedstocks. He told ATW that “from now on, it’s purely a commercial issue.”

One day before Joachim’s talk, a flight between Frankfurt and Washington using a Boeing 747 400 carried 40 tons of a biosynthetic fuel mix. Between mid-July and late December, Lufthansa had four daily roundtrip flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt as part of burnFAIR.

Joachim said that in order for biofuels to become a routine within the aviation industry, government assistance and commercial practices will be necessary. burnFAIR cost Lufthansa €6.6 million ($8.4 million). Out of the total, €2.5 million were covered with subsidies from the German government.

The use of biofuels by airlines is likely to revive the ‘food versus fuel’ debate. What do you think? Are biofuels a green solution for airlines, who account for an estimated two percent of the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions?

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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The commercial aviation industry could go from being one of the dirtiest to being one of the cleanest in ten years, according to one of the industry’s best-known figures.

Richard Branson says the world’s 7,000 airlines could switch to low-carbon jet fuels much faster than other forms of transportation because airplanes have very few “filling stations.”

“Unlike cars where there are millions of filling stations, there are only about 1,700 aviation stations in the world. So if you can get the right fuel, like mass-produced algae, then getting it to 1,700 outlets is not so difficult,” Branson said in an interview with The Guardian.

Branson’s Virgin Group, which owns a majority stake in Virgin Atlantic Airways, said the industry should aim for 50% sustainable fuels by 2020.

“Aviation fuel is 25-40% of the running costs of airlines so the industry is open to new fuels,” said Branson, who also heads up the Carbon War Room, an effort to work with and reward businesses that lead reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Some airlines are way ahead of others in the quest to make biofuels a regular part of the commercial aviation fuel mix. Several European airlines have tested or incorporated low-carbon fuels, as required by the EU program to reduce emissions from the aviation sector. But in North America, in the absence of such laws, progress is much slower.

Last month, Alaska Air chairman and CEO Bill Ayer lauded sustainable biofuels as “key to aviation’s future,” at the start of Alaska Air’s biofuel trial period of 75 regularly-scheduled commercial flights running on a biofuel blend. Alaska was on course to be the first airline in the U.S. to fly a commercial flight powered by biofuel but two days before they were scheduled to do so, United edged out Alaska Air to take the honors.

Unlike Alaska Air, however, United has no immediate plans to procure a long-term supply of biofuels for use in their domestic aviation operations.

Article by Timothy Hurst, appearing courtesy Earth & Industry.

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There is no doubt that climate change poses a grave danger, if there are any questions to be raised, they should be on our level of preparedness to face this challenge head on. We need to identify innovative ways of coming up with the most effective solutions in renewable energy and sustainability.

One of the most effective ways of combating climate change would be to improve specific aspects of our everyday interaction with the environment, transportation is a case in point.

The transport sector globally is the single highest energy consumer (around 19% ) producing around a quarter of the world’s CO2 emissions, this is probably not surprising given that much of the world depends on one form of motorised transport or another in their day-to-day lives.

Although road transport accounts for 75% of worldwide transport CO2 emissions according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), aviation and shipping are rapidly catching up . If we continue on the current path, the amount of energy we use and the associated CO2 emissions that are likely to be produced could increase by 50% by 2030, clearly an unsustainable prospect.

To mitigate this scenario, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommends that CO2 emissions be reduced by 50% by 2050, this may seem like a tall order particularly for the world’s governments, vehicle manufacturers, aircraft makers and ship builders but we are already seeing meaningful progress in these areas.

For example, the global aviation industry today contributes around 2.1% of CO2 emissions and initiatives in the use of alternative fuels for air transport are beginning to really take off!

Here in the Middle East, aviation is a particularly strong growing transport sector, as the region rapidly develops economically and emerges as the modern world’s crossroads between East and West. As transit hubs in the UAE and Qatar see their respective airline fleets rapidly swell, we could witness an increasing interest and investment in reducing their carbon footprints.

Indeed, we have seen real steps being taken in this direction, in my role as Assistant Professor at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology I have been fortunate enough to lead a unique study into jet fuel made from saltwater plants – which are abundant in this region – in partnership with Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airlines, Boeing and Honeywell’s oil and gas processing arm, UOP. Other international carriers such as KLM, Lufthansa and Continental Airlines have been testing various types of biofuels with Aeromexico launching the world’s first transcontinental flight powered partially by oil from the Jatropha Curcas oilseed plant.

Back on the ground, the world’s first carbon-neutral city, Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, began a year-long electric vehicle pilot project with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to look into the feasibility of having a point-to-point transport system. If successful, the scheme could not only have major implications for the future of road transport at Masdar City but for the Middle East region at large.

These are just the kinds of initiatives that have the potential to impact our daily lives but they also need the encouragement and support of the world community in order to make the journey from the drawing board or the testing stage into real world sustainable transportation solutions. Recognising this, the Zayed Future Energy Prize seeks to not only highlight but stimulate and inspire renewable energy and sustainable solutions every year by awarding innovative and deserving candidates in this field from all around the world.

This year once again, I have had the privilege to chair the Review Committee meeting which was held last week to shortlist the top 33 candidates for the $4 million 2012 Prize. Over the course of the two-day meeting, we had the chance to review some excellent submissions representing parts of the renewable energy and sustainability community that are either directly or indirectly related to transportation. In 2010 we saw Toyota awarded for bringing us all one major step closer to sustainable transport with its efforts in mass-producing the world’s first hybrid fuel, the Prius since 1997.

The Zayed Future Energy Prize represents the latest in a whole host of bold moves for the UAE in renewable energy and sustainability, with the increase in the number of candidates who have submitted their green initiatives for the 2012 Prize, it’s clear that there is a genuine hunger for clean and sustainable innovations.

Article by Dr. Sgouris Sgouridis, Assistant Professor at the Masdar Institute of Science & Technology. Sustainable transportation is one of his research areas.

References
(i) TRANSPORT ENERGY EFFICIENCY (information paper), Implementation of IEA Recommendations since 2009 and next steps (Sept 2010)
(ii) IEA – Transport, energy and CO2 – Moving toward sustainability (2009
(iii) IEA -Transport, energy and CO2 – Moving toward sustainability (2009)

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In addition to NASA's missions in space that amaze the world, our work in aeronautics continues to spur innovation and jobs.

NASA is providing the $1.65 million prize purse for the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation Green Flight Challenge competition, sponsored by Google, taking place this week outside of Santa Rosa, Calif.

The purse is the largest aviation prize in history and attracted 13 teams, all led by American innovators. Three teams successfully completed aircraft and flight qualification requirements and are competing for the purse. Teams are flying electric and biofueled powered aircraft to prove they have the most fuel efficient, small aircraft in the world.

To win the competition, an aircraft must fly 200 miles in less than two hours and use less than one gallon of fuel per occupant, or the equivalent in electricity.

Why is NASA sponsoring the competition?

NASA-funded prize competitions establish an important goal without having to choose the approach or the team that is most likely to succeed. NASA pays only for results. The competitions highlight excellence in a particular domain of human endeavor to motivate, inspire, and guide others.

NASA prize competitions increase the number and diversity of the individuals, organizations, and teams that are addressing a particular problem or challenge of national or international. They stimulate private sector investment that is many times greater than the cash value of the prize, while furthering NASA's mission by attracting more interest and attention to a defined program, activity, or issue of concern. And they capture the public imagination and change their perception of what is possible.

Aerospace remains a strong component of our national fabric and is the largest positive contributor to our nation’s trade balance. However, this technological leadership position is not a given. To remain the leader in aerospace technology, we must continue to perform research and invest in the people who will create the breakthroughs of tomorrow.

The CAFE Green Flight Challenge, sponsored by Google, may be the birth of a new segment of the aviation industry. This competition represents the dawn of a new era in efficient flight and is the first time that full-scale electric aircraft have performed in competition. The technologies demonstrated by the winning plane may end up in general aviation aircraft, spawning new jobs and new industries for the 21st century.

For photos of the Green Flight Challenge, visit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto

Article by Charles Bolden, Administrator of NASA

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Australia’s Jatenergy Limited energy company is to provide crude jatropha oil to Lufthansa for flight trials.

The Lufthansa tests are the world’s first, long-term trial of renewable jet fuel and will be used on Lufthansa’s regularly scheduled flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt.

Jatenergy is providing Lufthansa with 200 tons of crude jatropha oil at $1,000 per ton from its joint venture with PT Waterland International, which was refined into civilian aviation Jet A-1 biojet fuel by Finnish firm Neste Oil, The International Business Times reported.

Jatenergy CEO Phil Hodgson said, “We can’t produce enough jatropha oil at the moment to meet demand. Apart from sales to airlines such as Lufthansa, there is also interest from power generators and traditional biodiesel producers at prices linked to vegetable oils such as palm oil. Palm oil has priced between $1,000-1,250 per ton during 2011, which is around $140-180 per barrel. Our average ex-works production costs for the oil are around $460 per ton, or $65 per barrel.”

Interest in “drop in” biofuels has soared since the the standards group ASTM International recently approved the blending of up to 50 per cent of biofuel with conventional Jet A-1 fuel.

Article by Joao Peixe, appearing courtesy OilPrice.com.

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Slowly but surely, an extraordinarily important new industry is slowly taking shape, with the potential to transform the global economy.

After years of existing largely as an environmentalist’s fantasy, commercial production of biofuels for the world civil aviation industry is slowly becoming a fact, with production starting up across three continents.

The leading contenders for biofuel feedstocks are jatropha and camelina, both of which have their fervent supporters. While currently neither is capable of production at a price approaching that of Jet A1 civil aviation fuel derived from hydrocarbons, research and extensive investment are nevertheless investigating the possibilities.

While little is certain in the emerging picture, it is increasingly clear that despite the United States being one of the leading producers currently of renewable energy in the form of ethanol, that the United States nevertheless will be an also-ran in these developments.

In January 2010 Qatar Airways revealed plans to work with Airbus and other Qatari state entities to draw up “a detailed engineering and implementation plan for economically viable and sustainable biofuel production.” At an event marking the launch of the Qatar Advanced Biofuel Platform consortium, airline chief Akbar al Baker hailed its European project partner as “more proactive than Boeing in experimenting with alternative fuels.”

Fast forward to this March, when a European consortium of Airbus, Romanian state-owned airline Tarom, Honeywell’s UOP and CCE (Camelina Company España) announced plans to establish a bio-fuel production center in Romania to manufacture civil aviation fuel, using camelina as a feedstock.

Farther east, last month China National Petroleum Corp. announced that it had delivered 15 tons of jatropha oil to help Air China operate the country’s maiden biofuel-powered test flight, tentatively scheduled for later this year. According to a posting on its website, CNPC, Asia’s largest oil producer, is proving that it has the ability to produce biofuel from non-grain feedstocks to clean up the environment.

On Monday, Mozambique’s Agencia Informacao Mocambique news agency announced that Sun Biofuels Mozambique, a subsidiary of U.K.-based Sun Biofuels, has exported the first batch of 30 tons of jatropha oil produced from its fields in the central Mozambican province of Manica to Germany’s Lufthansa airline.

The biggest single impetus to the development of biofuels for civil aviation occurred on 8 June, when the international standards certifying body ASTM International announced its approval of its BIO SPK Fuel Standard, to be made official later in the year, allowing the use of hydro-treated renewable jet (HRJ) Jet A-1 fuel in commercial aviation.

Currently these biofuels are “drop ins,” and must be blended in a 50-50 mixture with Jet A-1 fuel derived from traditional fossil fuel kerosene.

The biggest single independent meant at present to a wide scale production of jet biofuel is its inordinate cost. Biojet fuel delivered last year to the U.S. armed forces for evaluation cost more than $70 a gallon to produce, a price which obviously makes it at present supremely uncompetitive with fuel derived from traditional hydrocarbon sources. Supporters of biofuel production argue that processing costs will decrease in direct proportion to rising volumes of production.

Both Brazil and the United States have viable biofuel production in the form of ethanol, in the case of Brazil derived from sugar cane, in the United States, produced from corn.

Ironically it is the very success of this production in the United States that will limit the near term growth of an alternative renewable fuels industry, because the ethanol lobby has ensured the farmers not only receive significant subsidies, but crop insurance as well, neither of which is available to other farmers wishing to dabble in the production of biofuel from camelina or other assorted feedstocks. These limitations exist despite the fact that the U.S. is the world leader in camelina research.

What is clear at this juncture however is the fact that renewable biojet fuels have been certified, and furthermore, that production is beginning, albeit at on a limited scale with relatively high production costs.

As noted earlier in this article, a critical momentum is building on three continents to advance production of biofuels, and when major players such as Airbus become involved, the viability of such projects is no longer in question, only the timeline.

Last but not least, an additional benefit of biofuels in a world concerned about global warming and emissions of greenhouse gases is that biofuels reduce carbon emissions by jet aircraft by up to 80 percent.

The technology is in place, the product has been certified, and at the end of the day, one is talking about an agricultural product which, depending on where it is sown, can produce one or even two harvests a year.

While discussion rages about the production of biofuels in poorer nations having the possibility of diverting land needed for food production, in terms of energies impact on the environment, biofuels are certainly more benign than other more traditional forms of energy as evidenced in the 2010 BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill, or more recently, in the March nuclear debacle in Japan.

Biofuels are clean, green, and… for the moment, expensive.

Article by John C.K. Daly, appearing courtesy OilPrice.com.

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At a time when many are adopting the narrative that carbon markets are faltering, the European Union (EU) is aggressively pursuing the expansion of theirs to include aviation. One of only two mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) cap-and-trade systems in the world, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) plans to fold in a new sector beginning in January 2012. Our research shows reducing GHG emissions from aviation is critical if we are to mitigate the impacts of global climate change. Low-carbon fuel technology and other technologies for airplanes are advancing at a rapid clip, but we need a climate policy – either a price on carbon or something else – to get over the hump.

Although there are many opportunities to reduce aviation’s impact on global climate change available now, experts expect GHG emissions from aviation to grow by up to 300 percent by 2050 if left unchecked. Action in the areas of advanced biofuels, airplane navigation and landing systems, and engine and airframe efficiency could help considerably. However, because of market failures, many new technologies may not succeed without public policy.

The point of market-oriented regulations like the EU ETS is to help push that new technology into the market without deciding technological winners. That appears to be exactly what’s happening with aviation in Europe. Low-carbon fuel technology along with more advanced engine and aircraft designs are beginning to enter the market just as new regulations are about to take effect. For example, European airlines including KLM and Lufthansa are beginning to fuel some of their planes with advanced biofuel-petroleum blends.

The EU’s view is that equally pricing the carbon emitted from airplanes flying into and out of European airports is fair and reasonable. And to that end, countries like the United States and China could look at this as one more additional cost to doing business in Europe and support the plan. They don’t. Their concerns include the legality of the program, the fairness of European-specific action, and the economic impact on the aviation industry.

The EU deserves credit for being a first-mover on this issue.

Both countries claim the move is illegal and an act of “extraterritorial jurisdiction” or ETJ. ETJ is an arcane legal term that essentially means a country is trying to exercise authority beyond its borders. U.S. airlines filed a lawsuit in 2009 with the European Court of Justice challenging the legality of the EU plan. The airlines are also concerned that their tight profit margins will be squeezed further, which could lead to even more fees. The International Air Transport Association estimated the program would increase the annual cost to Europe’s airline industry by 1 billion Euros while their profit for 2011 is expected to be less than half that. It’s unclear how much of the additional cost could be passed on to consumers.

Though the U.S. government is not a party in the case, it also believes the program violates international treaties. The U.S. government has officially come out against including U.S. airlines in the EU plan saying the intentions are good, but the method is wrong. Since aviation is a global industry and climate change is a worldwide problem, the US argued it’s sensible to want an international agreement instead of a patchwork solution that may be unfair. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has been working on such an agreement for many years.

Meanwhile, China is taking a retaliatory approach by putting the brakes on a major deal with Airbus, blaming the current “political environment.” Using a $4 billion deal as a bargaining chip is certainly an aggressive move by the Chinese. China also makes the claim that the EU program is illegal.

If the EU plan is legally upheld, the U.S. and China could meet its requirements if domestic measures are taken that result in equivalent GHG emission reductions. The purchase of fuel-efficient planes like Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner could reduce emissions and save airlines money in the long run. In addition, biofuels and other alternative fuels can act as a hedge against unstable oil prices, which have seen significant volatility in the last decade. In fact, seven U.S. airlines intend to start fueling some U.S.-based flights with biofuels. Finally, the U.S. military is leading the way in establishing a market for biofuels in aviation.

There are lots of reasons to want more low-carbon fuels and fuel-efficient technologies in the aviation marketplace. Along with hedging against oil price volatility and improving national security, mitigating global climate change is an important co-benefit of efforts to move off oil. Climate policy is a necessary step to help drive technological innovation and address these problems head on. The EU deserves credit for being a first-mover on this issue.

Article by Nick Nigro, a Solutions Fellow at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. He is responsible for research, analysis, and communication of transportation technology and policy solutions for reducing greenhouse gases.

Article appearing courtesy Txchnologist.

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Aviation is responsible for an estimated 2 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, and many believe they could be even more damaging because they release these pollutants high in the atmosphere.

Despite the immense challenges involved in sustainably serving millions of passengers a year, these three international airports have already achieved the much-coveted “carbon neutral” status.

Since 2005, Swedavia-owned Stockholm-Arlanda airport has been using only “green” electricity and since 2006 only district heating based on biofuel. Now, they’ve found a way to tap the world’s largest energy storage unit − the aquifer that exists underneath the massive building and terminals. This aquifer reduces the airport’s annual electricity consumption by 4 GWh and its district heating  consumption by around 15 GWh, for a total of 19 GWh − equivalent to the energy consumed by 2,000 single-family homes.

In January 2008, the Christchurch International Airport Limited (CIAL) became the first airport company in the Southern Hemisphere to attain certified carbon neutral status through the reduction and offsetting of the greenhouse gas emissions directly generated by the airport company’s operations. Currently the airport recycles all paper, waste oil, cardboard, plastic, metal and glass, and all green garden waste is composted. CIAL Facilities Services staff also use EM Bokashi to reuse food scraps. CIAL uses electricity, LPG and diesel for energy supply, and has reduced electricity use for air conditioning by using groundwater as an energy source.

In August, Canada’s Gander International Airport (CYQX) became North America’s first carbon neutral airport. In an effort to establish a sustainable culture at the airport, authorities have established a program to reduce paper consumption, a procurement policy that gives preference to green vendors, and created strict anti-idling policies. The airport has also reduced electricity use, enabled more comprehensive recycling, and installed energy retrofits. Gander is just one among a small number of airports around the world that signed the 2008 Aviation and Environment Summit Declaration, which asks the industry to commit to carbon-neutral growth and a carbon-free future.

The buzz around carbon-neutral airports seems to be growing in still developing nations as well. Just two weeks ago, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) set a goal of making its five international airports carbon-neutral by 2020.

Article by Beth Buczynski, appearing courtesy Crisp Green.

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All industries across the world face the same regulatory maze and misdirection. In some cases it has led to industry leaving and going to China where laws are more permissive, That is not an option for the aviation industry which flies everywhere. All aviation stakeholders, including manufacturers, airlines, airports and navigation service providers, have issued a joint call for governments to agree a global plan to address aviation emissions at December’s United Nations climate summit in Cancun.

The call from the international aerospace industry comes as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is holding its general assembly in Montreal.

Industry worries that a fragmented worldwide regulatory system would raise compliance costs for the sector and hurt the global industry.

The industry believes that ICAO, a specialized UN agency which codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation, is the right forum to draw up an appropriate global framework and implement it.

The summit communiqué of September 17th urged the states involved in the UN climate negotiations “to summon the political will to endorse the industry targets for reducing emissions and establish the necessary global framework to deliver them”. The suggested goals included:

1. 1.5% fuel efficiency improvement per year to 2020.
2. Cap air emissions in 2020; CO2 neutral or better after that date.
3. Halve net air emissions by 2050 versus 2005 levels.
4. Increase use of biofuels.
5. Improve air traffic control systems both for safety and improved fuel efficiency.
6. Other new technology (such as solar perhaps)

According to figures from the US Air Transport Association, US airlines have already cut fuel use by 3% between 2000 and 2007, despite rising passenger numbers.

While the industry is committed to improving its fuel efficiency, as well as stopping and then halving its net carbon emissions, it stresses that these goals are subject to governmental incentives such as funding technological research and development for airframes and engines and the commercial development of alternative low carbon fuels while also providing modern airport and airspace infrastructure.

The communiqué further notes that the most effective current means of lowering CO2 emissions is to invest in new aircraft, but that the industry’s ability to do so “is threatened by increasing and costly regulatory burdens, including taxes, charges and economic measures”.

Article by Andy Soos, appearing courtesy Environmental News Network.

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Boeing is one of the most recognizable names in the aviation industry, so when they come up with a new design it generates a great deal of buzz. While no one would necessarily be surprised about a redesigned 747 or 777 incarnation, it is always refreshing when they announce one of their green projects. The latest of their zero emissions projects was announced the other day and promises not only to fly high, but to stay up there among the clouds.

That project is Boeing’s new SolarEagle. The SolarEagle is the result of the Phantom Works research into unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) that are powered by renewable energy sources. The announcement of the SolarEagle, in fact, comes after the unveiling of the Boeing Phantom Eye: the UAV reconnaissance vehicle that is powered by biofuels. Unlike the Phantom Eye, however, the SolarEagle is designed to run off of electricity gathered by the sun’s rays. The really unique ability that the SolarEagle is bringing to the table is that it will supposedly be capable of flying non-stop in the stratosphere for a period of five years before being required to land. The idea is that the craft can gather energy during the day from the sun and store it to run throughout the night in a premise that is similar to the manned solar craft the Solar Impulse team managed to successfully fly for twenty four hours in Switzerland.

While the SolarEagle’s lofty goal of staying in the skies for nearly five years seems impossible, Boeing is confidant that the technology is already here. The craft was specifically designed by Boeing to meet the specifications of DARPA’s Vulture project, a program that has contracted several aviation companies to develop an aircraft that could operate on long term “intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communication missions.” As a part of the project, Boeing has received an $89 million contract to prepare the SolarEagle for a month long test flight in 2014. Once completed, the craft will have a wingspan of nearly 400 feet and will be designed to withstand the high winds of the upper stratosphere while utilizing a minimum amount of energy.

In a way, the SolarEagle will be acting as a sort of temporary satellite that has its roots in the intelligence gathering satellites that encircle earth and the missions of the Cold War’s SR-71 Blackbird. As the heir to those legacies, the SolarEagle is obviously intended primarily for use in military operations. However, considering the amount of civilian technology that is born out of military innovation, I would not be surprised if the technology that will eventually make the SolarEagle possible finds its way onto the civilian market. Perhaps the next step, as fantastical as it may seem, is the creation of massive solar gliders that carry people around the globe on a sort of sky cruise.

With announcements coming almost weekly about the advancements in green transportation on the ground, it is nice to see news coming out for those of us who still look skyward. Now all that remains is to wait for the test flight of the SolarEagle in 2014 to see if they can really pull of a design meant to last on its own in the sky for five years.

Article by Richard Cooke, appearing courtesy Justmeans.

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