First Commercial Jet Flight Using Jatropha Biodiesel a Success
After postponing the flight for about a month, Air New Zealand has become the first airline to test a 50/50 blend of second generation jatropha biodiesel and standard A1 jet fuel in a Boeing 747-400 passenger jet. The company has hailed the test as a milestone for commercial aviation.
The flight lasted two hours and ran one of the plane’s Rolls-Royce engines on the jatropha biodiesel blend. Air New Zealand has previously stated that they want to become the world’s most sustainable airline and hopes that by 2013, 10% of its flights will be powered by biofuel blends such as the jatropha biodiesel blend used in this test flight.
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Air New Zealand said the the jatropha used to make the fuel came from South Eastern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania) and India. They also claim that the oil was produced from Jatropha seeds grown on “environmentally sustainable farms.”
As a second generation biofuel, jatropha is grown on land that doesn’t compete with food. Jatropha requires almost no care and very little water. Another major benefit of jatropha is that, due to its ability to take hold in harsh wastelands, it can be used to help stop erosion in these areas and reclaim them for agricultural production.
Although the test flight was a success, there are still many barriers to commercial distribution of a jatropha blend jet fuel. Air New Zealand says that it will be at least 4 years before they can get access to enough jatropha to make the fuel needed to run 10% of their flights.
Image Credit: Air New Zealand
Sources: Biofuels Digest & Physorg
Good start. How does the jatropha fuel compare to standard A-1 jet fuel as far as perfomrnace?
Doug,
The jatropha fuel apparently has better viscosity characteristics (means lower viscosity) than standard jet fuel, so performs better at lower temperatures. Not sure about efficiency.
Just curious because of how vital weight is to air travel. Still this takes another hurdle out of bio fuels path.
First Synthetic Fuel Transfer: The Air Force made history over the skies of Edwards AFB, Calif., on Aug. 28 when a KC-135R tanker from March ARB, Calif., that was running solely on a synthetic fuel mix twice refueled an Edwards F-22 fighter that was also operating with the same fuel blend. “No anomalies were observed and all operations were nominal,” said service spokeswoman Vicki Stein. The mission was a big step towards the service’s goal of certifying its entire fleet by around 2011 to operate on this fuel blend—which comprises 50 percent JP-8 fuel and 50 percent synthetic paraffinic kerosene
The B-1B has joined the B-52H and the C-17 as the third aircraft certified for “unlimited use” of the synthetic fuel blend that the Air Force is working to clear for its entire inventory by early next decade.
While Air New Zealand should be commended for their introduction of tests of synthetic jet fuel, it should be noted that te U. S. A. F. has already certified 3 aircraft for synthetic fuel and is working to certify the remaining inventory. let’s give credit where it is due. We shold also note that the aircaft that the U. S. A. F. has certified are Boeing manufactured.
The above information is from the Air force Magazine archives.
Sweet now we can blow up the enemy and be green at the same time! Seriously though it is good to see our military becoming less dependent on foreign oil.
Curious to hear if anyone has found a way to mechanize jatropha harvesting.
I am not sure what exact fuel was used. May have been straight oil, according to the original AP article.
Here is the email I sent to the AP to get clarification from the writer, Ray Lilley:
Hi Ray - your article about the Air New Zealand flight being powered by 50% jatropha oil is making its way into blogs and magazines around the world. However, what is not clear is exactly what kind of biofuel was used. Was it truly jatropha oil, was it biodiesel made from jatropha oil, or was it some other kind of “biofuel” synthesized from jatropha oil? This is a critical distinction in the alternative fuels industry. If you read Biodiesel Magazine, they said “biofuel”, some blogs are saying oil, while others are saying biodiesel.
Please let me know what was used, and be specific. If you don’t know, please direct me to the source of your article, so that I may inquire. There is a handful of competing industries that depend on accuracy in these kinds of articles, and if it really is straight vegetable oil, I’ll be very surprised, but very happy!
Thanks so much for your prompt attention to this.
Jason Burroughs
Managing Partner, DieselGreen Fuels
http://www.dieselgreenfuels.com
Hello!
Can you give me the name and number of the gentleman from Santa Barabara who is growing Jatropha plants?
We have 75 unused acres of property that they maybe can use to grow more of these plants…
Thanks so much,
C. Nameth
213-407-7222
[...] biofuel was produced from Jatropha seeds grown on “environmentally sustainable farms.” A second generation biofuel, jatropha is grown on land that doesn’t compete with food. It requires almost no care and very [...]