Australian airline Qantas will announce this month that it will build the second commercial-scale plant to produce bio jet fuel entirely from its aircraft waste.
The airline has partnered with Solena, a biofuel manufacturer from America to build the plant, which will convert food waste, household materials such as lawn cuts and trees, and agricultural and industrial waste into biofuel for aircraft. Solena has already partnered with British Airways to build a similar plant in London, which will convert 500,000 tons of waste into 16 million gallons of biofuel in a year. That plant will be operational in 2014.
Almost all airlines have been testing biofuels on their aircraft, with satisfactory results so far. Right now, only a 50/50 blend of biofuel and jet fuel is certified for use in the US and UK, British Airways is trying to use 100 percent biojet fuel once it is approved.
Authors: Val
