Boeing, Canadian Aviation Industry Launch Sustainable Aviation Biofuel Project
Aviation industry, research institutions collaborate to make jet fuel from forest residues
December 2, 2015 /3BL Media/ - Boeing (NYSE: BA), the University of British Columbia (UBC) and SkyNRG, with support from Canada's aviation industry and other stakeholders, are collaborating to turn leftover branches, sawdust and other forest-industry waste into sustainable aviation biofuel.
Canada, which has extensive sustainably certified forests, has long used mill and forest residues to make wood pellets that are used to generate electricity. A consortium that includes Boeing, Air Canada, WestJet, Bombardier, research institutions and industry partners will assess whether forest waste could also be harnessed to produce sustainable aviation biofuel using thermochemical processing.
"Sustainable aviation biofuel will play a critical role in reducing aviation's carbon emissions over the long term," said Julie Felgar, managing director of Environmental Strategy & Integration, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "Canada is in a terrific position to leverage its sustainable forests to make environmental progress for its aviation industry and other transport sectors."
A 2015 Boeing-sponsored study by UBC found that aviation biofuel made from forest waste could meet 10 percent – about 46 million gallons, or 175 million liters – of British Columbia's annual jet fuel demand. These efforts could also supply biofuel to ground and marine vehicles, saving about 1 million tons of CO2 emissions per year on a life cycle basis across the transportation sector, the study found.
