ATA member airlines sign LOI for biomass-derived jet fuel from Solena

In the US, a group of seven airlines has signed letters of intent with Solena Fuels for a supply of 100% biomass-derived jet fuel to be produced in northern California.

The fuel will be produced at Solena's GreenSky California biomass-to-liquids (BtL) facility, located in northern California. At the plant, 550,000 tonnes of urban and agricultural waste will be converted into 16 million gallons a year of jet fuel by 2015. The facility will also produce 14 million gallon a year equivalents of other energy products.

'Today's announcement reinforces the ongoing steps that ATA member airlines are taking to stimulate competition in jet fuel production, contribute to the creation of green jobs, and promote energy security through economically viable alternatives that also demonstrate global and local environmental benefits,' says Nicholas Calio, the president and CEO of the industry trade organisation for the leading US airlines Air Transport Association of America (ATA).

'It is through the leadership and commitment of ATA member airlines and the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) that we are able to bring this groundbreaking alternative aviation fuels project in California to fruition,' he continues.

American Airlines and United Continental Holdings led the development of the agreement with Solena and were joined by five additional ATA member airlines – Alaska Airlines, FedEx, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and US Airways – and ATA associate member Air Canada in signing the letters of intent, as well as Frontier Airlines and Lufthansa German Airlines.