Biofuels for the skies in three years
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing says biofuel-powered aircraft could be carrying millions of passengers around the world within three years. 'The certification will happen much sooner than anybody thought,' Darrin Morgan, an environmental expert at the US jet manufacturer, says, adding the group was expecting official approval of biofuel use in the near future.
'We are thinking that within three to five years we are going to see approval for commercial use of biofuels, and possibly sooner.'
Aircraft will not require modification to operate on a blend of biofuel and kerosene. However, harvesting enough plant material to meet the industry's needs is the largest obstacle to mass use of biofuels, according to Boeing.
Fuelling the world's 13,000 commercial planes with soyabean-based fuel, for example, would require setting aside the equivalent of the entire land mass of Europe for soyabean production.
Boeing expects planes to operate on a 30% blend of biofuel. It also believes they could operate on a 100% blend, but says there would not be enough biofuel to supply an industry that consumes 85 billion gallons of kerosene a year.
'We are thinking that within three to five years we are going to see approval for commercial use of biofuels, and possibly sooner.'
Aircraft will not require modification to operate on a blend of biofuel and kerosene. However, harvesting enough plant material to meet the industry's needs is the largest obstacle to mass use of biofuels, according to Boeing.
Fuelling the world's 13,000 commercial planes with soyabean-based fuel, for example, would require setting aside the equivalent of the entire land mass of Europe for soyabean production.
Boeing expects planes to operate on a 30% blend of biofuel. It also believes they could operate on a 100% blend, but says there would not be enough biofuel to supply an industry that consumes 85 billion gallons of kerosene a year.
Loading ...
