News
New agreement on bio fuel use
June 14, 2011, Washington, D.C. - The Air Transport Association of America (ATA) has said standards development organization ASTM International has granted preliminary approval to passenger airlines to use a new jet fuel specification that will further enable the use of sustainable alternative fuels in aviation.
June 14, 2011 By Carey Fredericks
Following the approval, airlines can power their planes with the addition of a new bio-derived jet fuel annex to the alternative jet fuel specification D7566.
The new annex details the fuel properties and criteria necessary to control the manufacture and quality of this new fuel, referred to as hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) fuel, to ensure safe aviation use.
The association notes the approval effectively concludes the technical review process, allowing for final issuance of the revised specification by ASTM in August this year.
The revised specification will enable the use of HEFA fuels from biomass feedstocks such as camelina, jatropha or algae, in combination with conventional jet fuel up to a 50% blend.
Led by the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI), a collaboration of airlines, engine and airframe manufacturers, airports, universities, the USFAA, the military the aviation fuel community plans to turn next to development to convert sugars and lignocellulosic feedstocks to jet fuel.
