U.S. Army has successfully flown a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter on a 50/50 blend of ATJ-8 (Alcohol-to-Jet) produced by renewable isobutanol manufacturer Gevo Inc. The company says ATJ is a renewable, drop in alternative fuel for JP8 that addresses the Army Energy Security Strategy and Plans mandate that the Army certify 100% of its air platforms on alternative/renewable fuels by 2016.
This flight marks the first ever Army Aircraft to fly on the isobutanol ATJ blend. Flight testing is being conducted at Aviation Flight Test Directorate (AFTD) on Redstone Arsenal, AL and is anticipated to be complete by March 2014. Certification programs like this are part of the Department of Defense's long-term energy strategy, as evidenced by the U.S. Navy's recent announcement of its "Farm to Fleet" program through which it will begin to blend biofuels at 10% to 50% rates with conventional jet fuel (JP-5).
This testing is being performed as part of the previously announced contract with Gevo to supply more than 16,000 gallons to the U.S. Army. "Gevo's isobutanol can be used to produce a variety of conventional military jet fuels such as JP5, JP8 and commercial aviation jet fuel. We are pleased to see that the Department of Defense is moving forward with its 'Farm to Fleet' initiative and we would like to see the alcohol-to-jet from isobutanol be used as a blendstock for the 'Farm to Fleet' program that aims to produce renewable fuels in the USA," noted Patrick Gruber, Gevo's chief executive officer. "We greatly appreciate the U.S. Army's partnership and support in this effort. ATJ from isobutanol is a clean burning, homegrown, bio-jet fuel, and we have a potential route to deliver aviation biofuels at scale and at competitive cost for many aircraft platforms including military and commercial."
The company says its patented ATJ fuel is the same as petroleum jet fuel, designed to be fully compliant with aviation fuel specifications and provide equal performance, including fit-for-purpose properties.
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