February 2011 Archives

California-based OriginOil is taking part in a pilot project funded by the Mexican Government as part of the country's plan to produce 1% of its jet fuel from algae in less than five years.

Check out this video, in which OriginOil chief executive Riggs Eckelberry talks about the project, or take a look at the company's press release.

I'm working on a feature about algae and its potential for replacing kerosene to power commercial aircraft. I came across the OriginOil project while conducting my research - more details to follow if I can get an interview with the company. 

Lufthansa's race to become the first airline to operate scheduled passenger flights powered partly by biofuel has hit a snag.

The carrier has been forced to postpone its planned flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt using an Airbus A321 with one of its engines running on a 50/50 blend of kerosene and biofuel derived from vegetable oil.

The flights had been set to begin in April, but certifying body ASTM International still hasn't managed to certify this type of fuel for use in commercial aviation.

Lufthansa is now targeting late May, but this will depend on whether ASTM is able to reach agreement and certify the fuel in time.

The green light was originally supposed to have been given in December. 

Nanotechnology appears to be the mot du jour when it comes to finding ways of making flying more environmentally-friendly.

Take, for instance, yesterday's announcement from easyJet that has painted eight of its aircraft with a nanotechnology-based polymer which prevents debris from building up on the surface, thereby reducing drag and fuel burn.

Or last week's announcement from EADS that it has teamed up with Glasgow University to develop a fuel tank for solid hydrogen, again using nanotechnology. If successful, EADS plans to fly an unmanned hydrogen-powered test aircraft in 2014.

So what exactly is this nanotechnology? I did some investigative journalism (i.e I Googled it) to try and get a clearer picture, and the most basic description I could find was that it is "the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale".

I don't know about you, but I'm still left scratching my head. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I haven't studied biology, physics or chemistry since I was 16.

Apparently it's all to do with things that are smaller than 100 nanometres (or one billionth of a metre).

Anyway, I fully expect this word to re-appear on countless press releases in the future so I'm glad I've armed myself with a nanometre of knowledge on the subject.

IATA director general Giovanni Bisignani today called on governments to get behind the biofuel industry and help the commercial scaling-up of alternative fuels for use in aviation to become a reality.

In a speech delivered to the UK Aviation Club in London today, Bisignani said that support from oil companies (perhaps unsurprisingly!) has been "disappointing", and that "governments need to come on board and set a fiscal and legal framework to support growth in the biofuel industry and ensure that aviation will have access to adequate supply".

In the US, there are signs that this could be beginning to happen.

Included in a December list of recommendations from the Future of Aviation Advisory Committee (FAAC) to US transport secretary Ray LaHood was the following:

"Exercise strong national leadership to promote and showcase US aviation as a first user of sustainable alternative fuels...The DOT should take a lead role within the Biofuels Interagency Working Group and provide increased support to FAA's alternative fuels work."

Slowly, slowly catchy monkey. 

Alitalia has become the latest airline to sign a letter of intent with US bioenergy firm Solena to examine the possibility of building a plant that converts household waste into aviation biofuel.

I haven't managed to secure many details yet, but what I did get from a Solena Italia spokeswoman can be found in this initial story.

I'm planning to try and interview Solena's chief executive for a possible feature story later on, so stay tuned.

British Airways signed a similar deal with Solena last year, under which it agreed to purchase all of the biofuel produced by a proposed Solena plant in east London to use on part of its fleet from 2014.

Qantas Airways is also reported to have entered a similar agreement with Solena.