All go for biojet fuel
Richard Branson was jubilant after last week’s successful Virgin Atlantic biojet test-flight.
Just one year ago, flying biofuels at 30,000 feet was deemed impossible. Now we know it works.
Next, Virgin Atlantic and Boeing intend to test biofuel made from algae farmed in seawater ponds on non-productive land in seawater ponds.
But early tests for algae look promising, says a Boeing spokesperson. Fuel derived from algae oil has a lifecycle CO2 advantage, he says, which means it absorbs CO2 when the feedstock is being grown.
It may also produce fewer particulates or other non-CO2 emissions when used in an engine compared to conventional petroleum-based fuel.
Robert Nutall, fuel specialist at Rolls Royce has said alternative jetfuels were no longer a flight of fancy. “We should start to see airlines using this sort of fuel in a couple of years’ time with a mix of kerosene. There are estimates that suggest that by 2025 we might see about 25 percent of aviation fuel coming from an alternate source.”
Algae Shell
Royal Dutch Shell, the oil giant, is to fund a project in Hawaii to grow algae that can be converted into biodiesel fuel.
Through a collaboration with HR Biopetroleum, a tiny government-funded start-up on the Hawaiian island of Kona, Shell has started to build a facility to demonstrate the commercial and technical viability of algae as a source of biodiesel. Seawater ponds to grow algae, from which vegetable oil will be extracted and then converted into the fuel. [more]
Meanwhile…
Soaring fuel costs have led to a spate of thefts of diesel from farms and goods yards across Scotland.
Police believe relentless rises in pump prices have turned diesel into such a valuable commodity that it is being stolen and resold. Insurers say the crime wave has become an “epidemic” with claims from farmers doubling in the last three years. For example, over 1,000 litres of diesel were stolen from a farm in Stirlingshire recently - thieves siphoned from three 5,000-litre tanks.
Opinion:
It’s urgent, Peak Oil is on us!
Loading ...