Neel Mehta
Boeing and Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne think the future of jet fuel can be found in biomass.
The two companies announced a joint venture today to create the Sustainable Biomass Consortium. The research partnership will look into expanding voluntary standards and regulatory requirements for biomass use in jet fuels, and other energy sectors and lowering sustainability certification costs.
Biomass, usually comprised of plant matter, is considered a renewable and sustainable energy source. Boeing believes use of biofuel will reduce aviation carbon emissions.
“With increasing environmental, regulatory and social pressures on aviation, having harmonized standards for sustainable biofuel development is crucial,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice President of Environmental and Aviation Policy Billy Glover. “Our industry needs these fuel sources, and this consortium will help ensure we have a transparent way to collaborate among certification processes that guide us toward a more sustainable future.”
The consortium will begin its work in April 2011. Projects are planned in China, Africa, the European Union, Latin America, North America and Australia. The projects will only consider biofuels that reduce lifecycle carbon emissions, won“™t harm the global food chain, won“™t compete for fresh water or damage habitats and land.
