China flies high after signing aviation agreement
An inked deal between China and the US-based aerospace firm Boeing will see China launch its first biofuel-powered flight later this year.
The agreement was signed following the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue meting at a ceremony that will see a venture between Boeing, Air China and oil company PetroChina. The project will use jatropha for the production of biofuels and this will be supplied by PetroChina.
Contributing to around 2% of harmful gases emitted worldwide, China has now become the top priority for major advancements in the aviation industry. The VP of Boeing’s research and technology department, China, Al Bryant explained that the US has successfully flown four test flights powered by biofuel and now attention has shifted to China because of its decision to speed up the process.
‘We believe in three to five years we should see a portion of fuel in commercial aviation (using biofuel) but a lot more has to be done,’ Bryant said. ‘We’ve proven it can be flown and it is a matter of scaling it up to make it financially viable.’
With a vision to replace a minimum of 15% conventional fuel with biofuels by the year 2020, China’s main feedstocks will include agricultural waste, cellulosic materials and energy crops, after the nation banned the use of corn and other first generation crops back in 2006 and halted all new licenses for bioethanol projects in 2007.
The agreement was signed following the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue meting at a ceremony that will see a venture between Boeing, Air China and oil company PetroChina. The project will use jatropha for the production of biofuels and this will be supplied by PetroChina.
Contributing to around 2% of harmful gases emitted worldwide, China has now become the top priority for major advancements in the aviation industry. The VP of Boeing’s research and technology department, China, Al Bryant explained that the US has successfully flown four test flights powered by biofuel and now attention has shifted to China because of its decision to speed up the process.
‘We believe in three to five years we should see a portion of fuel in commercial aviation (using biofuel) but a lot more has to be done,’ Bryant said. ‘We’ve proven it can be flown and it is a matter of scaling it up to make it financially viable.’
With a vision to replace a minimum of 15% conventional fuel with biofuels by the year 2020, China’s main feedstocks will include agricultural waste, cellulosic materials and energy crops, after the nation banned the use of corn and other first generation crops back in 2006 and halted all new licenses for bioethanol projects in 2007.
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