Brazilian Airlines and Industry Giants Partner to Develop Sustainable Jet Fuel

Strategic Insights -

Brazilian airline Azul, alongside industry heavyweights Azul, Amyris Biotechnologies, Embraer, and General Electric, announced a joint project to evaluate the technical and sustainability aspects of Amyris' renewable jet fuel by 2012. This innovative collaboration aims to accelerate the introduction of a renewable jet fuel that could significantly lower greenhouse-gas emissions and provide a long-term sustainable alternative to petroleum-derived jet fuel.

Key Takeaways:

  • Azul expects to conduct a demo flight by 2012 to test a sugar-based fuel manufactured by Amyris Biotechnologies.
  • The project involves a partnership between Azul, Amyris, Embraer, and General Electric to evaluate the technical and sustainability aspects of Amyris' renewable jet fuel.
  • The goal of the project is to accelerate the introduction of a renewable jet fuel that could significantly lower greenhouse-gas emissions.
  • The new fuel has been tested by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, the Southwest Research Institute, GE Aviation, and other industry participants.
  • Claudio Loureiro, GE's director of commercial development, stated that Azul will be the first to perform a demo flight with a sugarcane-derived fuel.
  • Amyris Research has shown that the use of sugarcane as a raw material for aviation fuel is both economically and environmentally viable and sustainable.
  • Amyris is confident it can begin producing its patented renewable jet fuel on an industrial scale beginning in 2013.
  • The partnership plans to use Brazil as a platform for the production and export of sugarcane-derived fuel.

Statistics:

  • Air transport is responsible for almost 2 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions worldwide.
  • The figure is expected to rise to 3 percent by 2050.
  • GE Aviation has tested Amyris' new fuel along with other industry participants, including the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and the Southwest Research Institute.
  • Amyris has undergone testing under the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, the Southwest Research Institute, GE Aviation, and other industry participants.
  • The certification process for new fuel is lengthy, but Amyris is optimistic about the project's progress.
  • Brazil is the world's largest producer and exporter of sugarcane and sugarcane-derived ethanol.

Sources:

  • EFE via COMTEX, Nov 18, 2009.
  • Agencia EFE S.A.