Air New Zealand tests biofuel Boeing
The inedible nuts of the Jatropha plant consist of 30 to 40 percent oil that can be converted into biojet fuel.
(Credit: Air New Zealand)Air New Zealand, along with Boeing, Rolls-Royce and Honeywell, retooled one of the four Rolls-Royce RB211 engines on a Boeing 747-400 to run on an unusually fruity blend of half Jet A1 fuel and half jatropha oil, according to Air New Zealand.
Jatropha is a flowing succulent plant commonly grown in the semi-arid areas of India that produces seeds containing an oil which can be harvested and processed into a biofuel.
Jatropha has been used in making biodiesel for cars and trucks, but this is one of the first known attempts to use it as a biojet fuel in a commercial-size airplane.
Air New Zealand is not, however, the first commercial airline to try flying on a mixture containing biofuels. Several airlines, including Virgin Atlantic, have been testing out the sustainable idea of biojet fuel mixed with jet fuel.
The Jatropha biojet fuel was supplied by Terasol Energy, who certified that the fuel supply met sustainability criteria.
The fuel stock in no way affected the environment or displaced other crops, David Morgan, chief pilot at Air New Zealand explained in a video press release (below).
The two-hour test flight took off and landed from an Auckland, New Zealand airport on Tuesday, December 30 .
The test run was part of a program to research into better sustainable air travel.
International Air Transport Association (IATA) lists jatropha as a promising next-generation biojet fuel for the airline industry because the hardy plant can be grown in poor quality soil needing little water.
Candace Lombardi is a journalist who divides her time between the U.S. and the U.K. Whether it's cars, robots, personal gadgets, or industrial machines, she enjoys examining the moving parts that keep our world rotating. Email her at CandaceLombardi@gmail.com. She is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not a current employee of CNET.
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Biofuels,
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Transportation
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biofuels,
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biojet fuel,
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jatropha,
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Air New Zealand
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