Born in the USA
If there is one word that has really signified the work done so far to bring aviation biofuels to life, it is ‘collaboration’. The different players in the aviation industry are used to working together for common operational goals, but the emerging world of aviation biofuels has introduced airlines, manufacturers and airports to a completely new set of partners – fuel supply chains, the agricultural community and a wider range of government agencies.
As one of the founders of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) is fond of saying, “another way of looking at the challenges we face is to see them as opportunities for excellence.” This attitude has been a driving force of the CAAFI coalition. Co-founded in 2006 by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Air Transport Association of America (ATA), Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and Airports Council International North America (ACI-NA) at a meeting held in The Boeing Company’s headquarters, this coalition’s aim is to make commercially viable, environmentally friendly alternative aviation fuels a reality. Its step-wise approach has been to identify the challenges to the deployment of such fuels and to take them on, either directly or by working to help leverage the efforts of others toward the common goal.
Indeed, tremendous progress has been made toward commercial deployment of sustainable alternative aviation fuels in the United States by pulling together the various interested stakeholders – aviation fuel users including commercial airlines and the US military, fuel producers, airports, airframe and engine manufacturers, government agencies with remits related to aviation or alternative fuels more generally and universities – and coordinating and combining their initiatives. Although the coalitions and stakeholders go beyond CAAFI, this organisation serves as an ‘umbrella group’ for the various US activities, helping coordinate a range of actions. CAAFI is organised into four teams, each dedicated to ‘opportunities for excellence’ in the areas that otherwise might present obstacles to sustainable alternative aviation fuels:
- research and development;
- certification and qualification;
- environmental demonstrations; and
- the business case.
A look at each of these areas shows progress made and remaining opportunities that will benefit from further collective action.
Research and development
Many commentators have remarked about how far aviation alternative fuels have come in such a short time. That such fuels are ‘real’ has been made clear by the many and successful test flights and rig tests that have been conducted, using a variety of fuels and feedstocks. This success can largely be credited to two factors, the shared vision that aviation alternative fuels need to be interchangeable with today’s petroleum-based fuels and focused research, development and testing of fuels around that vision.
CAAFI determined early in its inception that replacing aircraft and aircraft engines to accommodate new fuels would be costprohibitive, as would having to put in place wholly separate fuel storage and delivery systems at airports. The US military came to the same conclusion. Thus, commercial and military stakeholders in the US have largely focused their efforts on alternatives that can be ‘dropped-in’ to existing infrastructure, so-called ‘drop-in’ fuels. This focus has given ‘drop-in’ alternatives priority in nearer-term research and funding, with alternatives that would require new aviation architecture – such as hydrogen – being addressed in the longer term research projects.
With the US Air Force goal to have onehalf of its jet fuel nonpetroleum-based by the year 2016 and the US Navy goal to supply 50% of its total energy consumption from alternative sources by 2020, the US military services have undertaken significant activities in research and development and fuel approval and deployment. Also, the FAA has dedicated some of its research dollars under the Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) programme for research and development of aviation alternative fuels, while US engine and airframe manufacturers have undertaken significant testing, in addition to that done by fuel producers. To allow researchers, fuel producers and potential users to have common understandings of where a particular alternative is in its development and help coordinate development efforts, the CAAFI coalition developed a fuel readiness level (FRL) framework tool. Covering fuels from concept through full commercialisation and identifying the criteria and requirements the fuels must satisfy, this tool also helps determine when a particular alternative is sufficiently beyond the research and development stage to proceed to certification and qualification.
Certification and qualification
Any alternative jet fuel must satisfy the regulatory and standards-making organisation specification requirements for jet fuel. In the United States and much of the world, the recognised jet fuel specification is set by ASTM International. Until very recently, ASTM D1655, ‘Standard Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuels’, was the only ASTM jet fuel specification. Based on a process forwarded by CAAFI stakeholders, an ASTM research report assembled under the supervision of the Emerging Turbine Fuels subcommittee, and rigorous review by engine companies and other experts, ASTM approved D7566, ‘Aviation Turbine Fuel Containing Synthesized Hydrocarbons’. This specification allows for alternatives that demonstrate that they are safe, effective and otherwise meet the specification and fit-for-purpose requirements to be deployed as jet fuels, on a par with fuels under ASTM D1655.
The initial issue of D7566 enables use of fuels from the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process in up to a 50% blend with conventional jet fuel. FT fuels can be generated from a variety of feedstocks, including biomass (biomass to liquid) and natural gas to liquid, in addition to coal to liquid and combinations thereof. Most critically, however, the ASTM D7566 specification is structured, via annexes, to accommodate different classes of alternative fuels when it is demonstrated that they meet the relevant requirements. One such annex is for hydrotreated renewable jet (HRJ) blends (also referred to as bio-derived synthetic paraffinic kerosene, or ‘Bio-SPK’), with other alternatives (such as hydrolysis / fermentation, lignocellulosic bioconversion, pyrolysis / liquefaction) to follow as data from technical evaluations is obtained.
Environment
A significant driver for the deployment of alternative aviation fuels is the benefit they may bring in reducing emissions from aviation, whether associated with local air quality or global climate change. CAAFI and other groups have made significant progress in confirming the methodologies for lifecycle analysis of alternative aviation fuels and in supporting or performing case studies that use these methodologies. Two cooperative US initiatives have produced significant work product in this regard. For example, an interagency working group led by the US Air Force and coordinated with CAAFI stakeholders developed critical guidance on how to perform lifecycle emissions analysis for aviation fuels . Working with that, researchers as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, funded under a partnership supported by many CAAFI stakeholders, produced a comprehensive case-study analysis on potential alternatives . This work, as well as work on broader sustainability criteria, is being further advanced by the CAAFI Environment Team under two work streams that are expected to further firm up environmental guidance that may help fuel purchasers incorporate relevant environmental criteria into future purchase agreements.
Business case
Fuel costs are a significant portion of an airline’s operating costs – in many cases, the greatest portion. Given that airlines typically generate razor-thin profit margins even in good years – and incur substantial losses in bad years – any fuel used by the airlines must be competitively priced and reliably provided. US aviation stakeholders are working hard, through CAAFI and other coalitions, to help make alternative aviation fuels readily available and price-competitive.
A key aspect to ensuring availability of these fuels is sending market signals that aviation is a ready, willing and optimal buyer. One initiative in this regard has been the strategic alliance between ATA and the US military, through its procurement arm (the Defense Logistics Agency). The US Air Force consumes about as much jet fuel in a year as a mid-sized airline would. However, the combined demand of US commercial airlines and the US military amounts to more than 1.5 million barrels of jet fuel per day, a volume that is more attractive to fuel providers who also may be considering supplying other fuel users, such as ground transport. The strategic alliance allows for pooling this demand and the consideration of joint purchasing agreements, but also provides another mechanism for sharing experience on fuel certification and environmental impacts. Already, two pre-purchase agreements for aviation biofuels have been announced between US commercial airlines and alternative fuels producers, with more commercial and military announcements in the works.
A key to helping make alternative aviation fuels price-competitive with petroleum-based fuels is to avail these fuels and the feedstocks that go into making them of government and other incentive programmes. In July 2010, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), ATA and Boeing signed a resolution memorialising their commitment to work together on a ‘Farm to Fly’ initiative “to accelerate the availability of a commercially viable sustainable aviation biofuel industry in the United States, increase domestic energy security, establish regional supply chains and support rural development” . This initiative is aimed at helping align US agricultural policy, which includes encouragement for growing energy crops, with the interest of the US airlines and military in sustainable alternative aviation fuels. Issues such as availability of crop insurance, means of reducing costs of energy crop feedstocks and bio-refinery opportunities are among those coming out of this initiative.
International benefits
While CAAFI started as a US initiative, it now has over 300 stakeholder participants from all around the globe, allowing for shared experiences and further leveraging. Not only will many of the developments in the US bring benefits to the global market, but developments elsewhere will further stimulate US initiatives. The key will be to continue to look for opportunities for excellence together.
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