China aims to reach 30% biofuel in aviation fuels by 2020

China Petroleum & Chemical, also known as Sinopec, has applied to China's aviation regulator with the aim to produce aviation biofuel commercially.

China is reportedly expected to use 12 million metric tons of aviation biofuel a year by 2020. This will equal about 30% of projected total jet fuel consumption, which in itself is predicted to double to 40 million metric tons a year.

However, in order to sell aviation biofuel commercially, China needs to reduce its production costs.

Sinopec currently produces nearly three-quarters of China-made aviation fuel, and is researching additional ways of producing aviation biofuel.

Its rival, China National Petroleum, supplied 15 tons of biofuel made from jatropha, which used in a test flight by Air China last October. Furthermore, its subsidiary, PetroChina, plans to build a refinery to produce 60,000 tons of the biofuel a year by 2014.