Paves The Way For Increased Biofuel Use In Commercial
Aircraft
The Air Transport Association of America, Inc. (ATA) praised
the ASTM International Committee on Petroleum Products and
Lubricants late last week for approving a new jet fuel
specification that will further enable the use of sustainable
alternative fuels in aviation.
"The committee endorsement of this specification is significant
for all consumers of jet fuel, bringing the airline industry one
step closer to widespread production of cleaner, alternative fuels
that will help meet our environmental goals while enhancing the
security and competitiveness of our energy supply," said ATA
President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio.
Supported by work undertaken by the Commercial Aviation
Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI), which ATA helped co-found in
2006, a committee of experts at ASTM voted to approve the addition
of a new bio-derived jet fuel annex to the alternative jet fuel
specification D7566. This effectively concludes the technical
review process, allowing for final issuance of the revised
specification by August of this year. The new annex details the
fuel properties and criteria necessary to control the manufacture
and quality of this new fuel, referred to as "Hydroprocessed Esters
and Fatty Acids" (HEFA) fuel, to ensure safe aviation use. Once
issued by ASTM, the revised specification will enable use of HEFA
fuels from biomass feedstocks such as camelina, jatropha or algae,
in combination with conventional jet fuel up to a 50 percent
blend.
With the approval of the alternative jet fuel specification for
HEFA (sometimes referred to as "hydroprocessed renewable jet"
fuel), hydroprocessing of plant oils becomes another pathway for
production of alternative jet fuels. In 2009, ASTM approved
Fischer-Tropsch processing as the first pathway to be covered by
its alternative jet fuel specification.
"This standard provides another pathway for alternative jet fuel
production, and will enable increased commercial production," said
Calio. "At the same time, we continue to explore other pathways
that may be able to meet the rigorous criteria needed under the jet
fuel specification."
Led by CAAFI, a collaborative effort among airlines, engine and
airframe manufacturers, airports, universities, the Federal
Aviation Administration, the military and others, the aviation fuel
community plans to turn next to development and approval of
pathways for processes that convert sugars and lignocellulosic
feedstocks to jet fuel.