Boeing to Develop Sustainable Aviation Biofuels

World-renowned US aerospace and defence firm Boeing is set to participate in a new project which aims to discover an underwater source for renewable and realistically-priced aviation biofuels, it has emerged. The so-called Sustainable Bioenergy Research Project (SBRP) will be funded by the Unite Arab Emirates, and Boeing will work alongside avionics firm Honeywell, alternative energy university the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and Etihad – the UAE’s flagship passenger-carrying airline.

“Together with the Abu Dhabi government, Etihad Airways and other industry leaders, we are forging our energy future by developing a renewable fuel supply now, not when fossil fuels are depleted”, Boeing’s Chief Executive Officer, Jim Albaugh, stated.

“Developing and commercializing these low-carbon energy sources is the right thing for our industry, for our customers and for future generations.”

Aircraft Biofuels

According to Boeing, the project will result in the creation of technologically-advanced integrated saltwater agricultural systems (ISAS) to drive forward the development and introduction into the marketplace of aircraft biofuels, as well as biofuels for related products. The project will concentrate on developing both solid and liquid biofuel products, capturing and storing atmospheric CO2, expanding existing ecosystems and thus boosting present biodiversity, and finally producing fresh water that can be channelled elsewhere.

Sustainable Biofuels

SRBP’s overall aim is to showcase how saltwater agriculture techniques can be used as a means of generating commercially viable sustainable biofuels, and – for this reason – it will be an unprecedented event.

“This project demonstrates the Masdar Institute’s strong desire to establish a world-class university dedicated to alternative energy, environmental technologies and sustainability”, Masdar Institute’s Provost, Doctor John Perkins, stressed. “This project will for the first time demonstrate the commercial viability of using integrated saltwater agriculture to provide biofuels for aviation, and is consistent with the overall vision of Abu Dhabi to achieve a 7% target of renewables by 2020.”

“The development of carbon-neutral sources of energy is of major importance to Etihad Airways and the aviation industry”, James Hogan – the airline’s Chief Executive Officer – said. “The SBRP findings will be of great use to Etihad Airways as we look to reduce the use of conventional fossil fuels and to develop a commercially viable alternative that is also able to meet the sustainability principles that we have committed to as a member of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group.”

In related news, Boeing’s commercial airliner rival Airbus asserted its certainty on January 21st that its aircraft would be able to be flown on biofuels. Its future plans involve jointly trialling new environmental aviation fuels with a US airline, JetBlue Airways.

See also:

2050 Aviation CO2 Emissions Reduction Plan Unveiled

Reducing Aviation CO2 Emissions with Resonance Principle