Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) - Articles and news items

An alternative way of thinking

Issue 2 2011 / 11 April 2011 /

In the early afternoon of 7 January, 2009, a Continental Airlines Boeing 737 airliner lifted off the tarmac of Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport with a blend of biofuel and conventional petroleum-derived fuel feeding one of its two CFM International jet engines.

This event, along with three similar demon stration flights by Air New Zealand, Japan Airlines, and KLM marked a major step forward in addressing one of commercial aviation’s most pressing concerns. The airlines need sustainable alternative fuels to address a myriad of environmental and economic challenges, and these flights demonstrated that they could soon have what they want. (more…)

Paving the way for alternative fuels

Issue 3 2010 / 9 June 2010 /

An aviation first: As part of the United States Air Force (USAF) long-term energy vision, the Alternative Fuels Certification Office (AFCO), consisting of a small cadre of systems engineers and managers, was formed to develop and execute repeatable processes to identify viable fuel candidates and certify them for fleet-wide operations. These activities require substantial collaboration with the fuels experts at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Air Force Petroleum Agency (AFPET), and the Defense Energy Support Centre (DESC). The AFCO is nearing completion of its original objective of certifying a 50/50 blend of its traditional JP-8 and Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (JP-8/SPK) by 2011. The synthetic component of this blend is derived using the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process that converts coal, natural gas, or biomass to fuel. Concurrently, the AFCO has undertaken a newer initiative to certify all platforms on a 50/50 blend of JP-8 and Hydro-processed Renewable Jet fuel (JP-8/HRJ), biofuels derived from plant or algal oils or animal fats, by 2013. (more…)

Sustainable Alternative Jet Fuels, A ‘Growing’ Opportunity for Airports?

Issue 2 2010 / 5 April 2010 /

2009 showed the first signs of an emerging trend. Authorities certifying, airlines buying, and airports hosting new sustainable alternative fuels sources.

The trend, as it has been both encouraged and become visible upon the radar screen of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, started in Los Angeles in September of 2009, with eight airlines agreeing to partner in purchasing biomass to liquid for use in ground vehicles, from a project developed by Rentech Corporation.

The process accelerated in December when some 15 airlines agreed to two MOUs to negotiate terms for two fuel purchases. One was from Altair for Biojet fuel utilising oils extracted from Camelina seeds. Camelina based biofuel was first flown in January of 2009 by Japan Air Lines and was subsequently flown by KLM later in 2009.

(more…)

Research rapidly progresses as airlines eagerly await alternative fuels

Issue 1 2010, Past issues / 22 February 2010 /

In a keynote address at the September 30, 2009 meeting of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuel Initiative (CAAFI) in Washington, DC, Air Transport Association Chairman and UAL Corp. CEO Glen Tilton emphasised, “… there clearly is a market (for aviation alternative fuels). There are buyers. There is certainly interest.”

Many feel that alternative jet fuels are a vital element in energy supply diversification in the face of rising oil prices and volatile world situations. Another important benefit of alternative fuels is that they have the potential to reduce aviation-related combustion emissions’ environmental impacts.

Progress towards alternative fuel use is moving faster as every month goes by. On November 18, 2009, Embraer, General Electric, and Amyris announced they would cooperate in a technical and environmental evaluation of Amyris’ alternative aviation fuel. This feedstock-to-fuel pathway would use an advanced fermentation technique to convert sugars to jet fuel. On December 4, U.S. Sec­retary of Energy Steven Chu and Secretary of Agri­culture Tom Vilsack announced a $600 million investment in 19 advanced biorefinery pro­jects around the United States, some of which will produce jet fuel. And, that same month, 15 airlines signed memoranda of understanding to begin purchases of alternative fuels. (more…)

Landmark synthetic jet fuel specification action creates opportunities for airports

Issue 4 2009, Past issues / 16 July 2009 /

In the Nov 07’ issue, International Airport Review readers were introduced to the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI). CAAFI’s genesis, its structure and its accomplishments were listed. Readers were left with the question “Will aviation be the last to wean itself from petroleum fuel or will it be a “first mover” to a very different future?”

That question was answered for the most part on June 24, 2009. During meetings held in Norfolk, Virginia, the Aviation Fuel Subcommittee of the ASTM (American Society of Testing and Materials International), the fuel specification governing body, passed a new specification framework for alternative fuels that can be used in applications calling for certified D1655 Jet A petroleum-derived fuel. Certification action is limited to fuel types that will “drop-in” or be indistinguishable from Jet A fuel when used in existing aircraft engines.

This action, for the first time, opens jet fuel production to multiple sources, including a broad array of feedstock’s, production facilities, and locations. By contrast, approvals granted prior to this action were limited to experimental use (flight test programmes) and production from one specific coal-to-liquid production facility located in South Africa. (more…)

From ‘Afterthought’ to ‘Cutting Edge’?

Issue 6 2008, Past issues / 3 December 2008 /

CAAFI progress in advancing aviation alternative fuels.

One year ago International Airport Review readers were introduced to the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI). CAAFI’s genesis, its structure and its accomplishments were listed. Readers were left with the question “Will aviation be the last to wean itself from petroleum fuel or will it be a “first mover” to a very different future?”

Lastly there was a conclusion that airports would play a ‘key role’ in implementation. Left open – what is this role in an arena where airports have typically had limited engagement? What is at stake for airports?

What follows is an update that answers the first of these questions and adds granularity to the stake that airports have solutions. (more…)

Alternative fuels for aviation: the CAAFI process

Issue 6 2007, Past issues / 30 November 2007 /

Until the last few years, alternatives to jet petroleum based aviation fuel for commercial aircraft were, at best, an afterthought to energy suppliers and the aviation industry. The collective wisdom of airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers and government organisations such as the FAA in the US, had been that aviation would consume the last drop of oil used in transportation and that all other transportation modes would switch to alternatives first. They predicted that the transition would occur long after stationary energy users (utilities) switched. Even if aviation sought to pursue alternatives to Jet A or its military equivalent JP8, the market for aviation fuel (less than 10% of overall demand) was too small to influence energy suppliers and distributors. The need to pursue alternatives in aviation was not apparent.

Much has changed and a different set of questions are asked in many quarters. Does aviation want to rely upon this historical assumption of “last user”? Is there a better future possible with a more secure supply, a better environmental footprint? Could this lead to energy price stability in the long term? Is there any way that aviation could attract the attention of the energy supply community to act in its interests? Perhaps most importantly, if aviation does not act, what are the consequences of being the last user of an ageing and likely politically unstable petroleum infrastructure in the long term? (more…)