biofuels

Virgin Atlantic has teamed with LanzaTech to create renewable jet fuel that will power planes from 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.’

A flight demo with the new fuel is planned in the next 18 months, and the project will also include Boeing during the trial phases.

Shipping has so far not benefited from the research and development that has turned biomass into one of the world’s most important sources of renewable energy. Two projects involving Maersk aim to change that.

United Airlines has signed a purchase agreement with AltAir Fuels for cost-competitive, sustainable, advanced biofuels at commercial scale, representing a historic milestone for aviation.

Under the partnership, AltAir Fuels will retrofit part of an existing petroleum refinery to become a 30 million gallon, advanced biofuel refinery near Los Angeles, Calif. AltAir will produce low-carbon, renewable jet fuel and other renewable products (1 US gallon=3.74 litres).