Honeywell Green Jet Fuel powers first commercial biofuel flight in Colombia

UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, has announced that Honeywell Green Jet Fuel produced using Honeywell's UOP Renewable Jet Fuel process powered the first commercial flight in Colombia operating with renewable jet fuel.

A LAN Airbus A320 aircraft traveled with 174 passengers from Bogotá El Dorado International Airport to Santiago de Cali, Colombia. One of the aircraft's two engines was powered by a 30/70% blend of Honeywell Green Jet Fuel and petrol-derived jet fuel. The renewable fuel was made with natural oils from camelina, an inedible plant that can be grown in adverse conditions where food crops cannot. The flight marked the first time any aircraft in Colombia has flown on renewable jet fuel.

'Honeywell Green Jet Fuel has been proven repeatedly in military and commercial flights as an alternative fuel source that meets increasingly strict emission standards and strict flight specifications,' says Jim Rekoske, VP and general manager of UOP's Renewable Energy and Chemicals business unit. 'We look forward to provide sustainable energy solutions that help support Colombia's significant feedstock potential.'

Depending on the feedstock, Honeywell Green Jet Fuel can offer a 65-85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions relative to petrol-based fuels. Each gallon of camelina-based Honeywell fuel burned instead of petrol reduces net carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 68% and a 50% blend can be used as a drop-in alternative with no infrastructure changes required.

The UOP Renewable Jet Fuel Process technology was originally developed in 2007 under a contract from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to produce renewable military jet fuel for the US military.