Boeing and Hawai'i BioEnergy to work together on biofuels

Boeing has signed an agreement to collaborate with Hawai'i BioEnergy to produce renewable fuels, identify biofuel sources and build new technology.

The companies plan to examine crops including sorghum and eucalyptus for possible biofuel feedstocks – which can be grown locally in Hawaii in order to be produced into jet biofuel.

Boeing vice president of environment and aviation policy, Billy Glover, says: ‘This collaborative effort will allow us to examine potential local options, while protecting the beauty and culture these islands have to offer.’

Because the island has a strong US military presence and at the moment is dependent on importing energy resources, the companies hope that their work can boost the local economy.

Boeing says it does not want to use any crops that ‘distort the global food chain, compete with fresh or crop water resources, or lead to unintended land use changes’ for its biofuels production.

Two months ago, Biofuels International reported that Hawai'i BioEnergy signed a deal with Hawaiian Electric to supply the company’s Kahe generating station with 10 million gallons of biofuels a year.

For this project, the energy crops will be grown on empty land on Hawaii’s Kauai island.