Local fuel for local flights in one of the fastest-growing markets

A number of initiatives are currently aimed at developing a sustainable aviation fuel industry in China. Boeing and PetroChina Company Limited are leading a thorough evaluation of the potential for establishing a sustainable aviation biofuels industry in China. The project will look at all phases of aviation biofuel development including agronomy, energy inputs and outputs, lifecycle emissions, infrastructure and government policy support. Other United States participants include Honeywell’s UOP and United Technologies Corporation, while Chinese participants include the Civil Aviation Authority of China, the State Forestry Administration, and Air China.

In addition, Boeing and the Chinese Academy of Science’s Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) are collaborating on algae-based aviation biofuel, developing algal growth, harvesting and processing technologies. The Joint Laboratory for Sustainable Aviation Biofuels is located in Qingdao and managed by Boeing Research and Technology China and QIBEBT, and has a strong emphasis on commercial applications.

Lastly, Air China and Boeing have planned two significant flights using regionally sourced biofuel. The inaugural Chinese biofuel flight, powered by sustainable fuel produced from Chinese jatropha oil, will demonstrate the potential for a domestic supply chain in China. PetroChina, Honeywell’s UOP and Pratt & Whitney are also partners in this effort. A second, trans-Pacific flight will demonstrate and celebrate international collaboration on biofuel development.