Getting There with “Green” Jet Fuel
The crunch of fuel prices has driven airlines to charge extra fees for everything from baggage to blankets. Tired of rising fuel costs, Virgin Atlantic head honcho Richard Branson announced plans to start building cellulosic ethanol plants to make biofuel. The hope was to offset the 700 million gallons of fuel Virgin uses annually to power its fleet by replacing some or all of it with ethanol.
In theory, biofuel can be produced from any biological carbon source. Although many different plants or plant-derived materials are currently used in biofuel processing, the most common option tends to be photosynthetic plants that capture solar energy. While Branson aimed to accomplish this feat in 5-6 years, nearly three years after his announcement plans are still in the works.
Meanwhile, others have joined the fray, including Solazyme of South San Francisco, CA. This renewable oil production company claims to have created the “world’s first microbial-derived jet fuel” by genetically modifying algae to consume a wide range of feedstocks, including wood chips and sawdust. When the algae have, in a sense, overeaten, they produce oil as a storage mechanism. The result: non-toxic, renewable oil that can be “leveraged across a wide variety of industries and applications.”
Solazyme’s jet fuel has already passed the biggest hurdles on its way to becoming a viable commercial and military jet fuel alternative. Under the discerning eye of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), a leading fuel analytical laboratory, the Solazyme creation faced scrutiny in areas like density, thermal oxidative stability, flashpoint, freezing point, distillation and viscosity—passing all eleven required parameters.
But don’t expect to feel the sweet relief of eco-friendly fuel right away. President and co-founder Harrison Dillon told SF Gate that since the process for bringing new jet fuel to market can be stringent, biofuel won’t replace 100 percent of the fuel supply anytime soon. But Solazyme’s creation has potential to supplement current fuel needs and lessen the demand on foreign oil sources.
Along the same lines, the FAA, in association with the U.S. Department of Transportation, established a project “to drive the development of renewable aviation fuel technology.” To develop a method for “incentivizing” the advancement of these fuels and technologies, the X PRIZE Foundation received half a million dollars toward creating a 10 million dollar prize. The competition will likely occur over three to eight years, with prize rules to be set over the next 14 months, based on input from a panel of industry experts.
With all the work being done in this area, we can hope too see some changes in airline fuel demand ASAP. And maybe even celebrate with a free drink or two!
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:46 pm
What a great way to start my morning. I love to travel and this gives me hope.
February 11th, 2011 at 11:51 am
This is notably interesting. I essentially delight in your writing style and your word selection increased than anything