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Virgin Atlantic develops low-carbon aviation fuel

Oct. 19, 2011, Auckland, Nz. - Virgin Atlantic, in collaboration with New Zealand-based LanzaTech, has developed an aviation fuel from industrial waste gases which will reduce the carbon emission of standard jet fuel by half.


October 19, 2011  By Carey Fredericks

The fuel is developed from waste gases from industrial steel production that are fermented and chemically converted using technology from Swedish Biofuels.

The partner firms are planning to work with Boeing to achieve the technical approval required for using new fuel types in commercial aircraft.

The airline plans to use the green fuel on its routes from Shanghai and Delhi to London within two to three years as LanzaTech and partners develop production facilities in China and India.

LanzaTech is planning to test the production technology in New Zealand and to commission a larger demonstration facility in Shanghai in 2011, with the first commercial operation due to open in China by 2014.

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