Alternative aviation fuels: who is doing what

© Jemma Robinson

Although the industry and investors flirted with alternative fuels in the late 20th century, only recently has research and develop­ment flocked towards these innovations.

Engine, airframe and fuels manu­facturers march onward alongside venture capitalists, automotive companies and the energy sector. Some invest in known processes like Fischer-Tropsch, while others develop new ways to convert hydrocarbons into drop-in petroleum replacements that must also fit flawlessly into pipelines and the delivery infrastructure.

A handful have a headstart running the gamut of safety and performance requirements - a feat aided by conver­sion technologies that produce fuels chemically identical to kerosene.

This directory lists those whose propriet­ary processes or produc­tion facilities are operating or will soon be, and which aim to quench aviation's growing thirst for fuel. Others are just enter­ing the field, and still others may one day tweak their process toward jet fuel from diesel or petrol substitutes.

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Alternative Fuels Directory