Whilst China shows increasing commitment to the global efforts in the battle against climate change, the Chinese aviation sector has been forging ahead with developments in biofuels and air traffic control, both vital pillars to the industry’s strategy for a sustainable future for flight.
This week, an announcement came from Honeywell’s UOP LCC for plans to collaborate with aviation and refining leaders including PetroChina, Air China and Boeing, to evaluate and demonstrate sustainable aviation biofuels in China. The team, which includes government agencies and associations along with aviation and biofuel companies, will be looking into feedstock harvesting and processing, the establishment of refining capacity for commercial production, and the development of the infrastructure to store, deliver and dispense biofuels. Their aim: develop a complete supply chain for affordable, safe and domestically produced aviation biofuels in China, which will in turn result in a substantial reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation industry. UOP has also signed an agreement to work with PetroChina, Air China and Boeing to evaluate and plan a biofuel demonstration flight in China. The flight will run on a 50:50 blend of petroleum-based jet fuel and ‘Green Jet Fuel’ – a sustainable, non-food feedstocks, which offers a reduction of up to 80% in GHG emissions!
Elsewhere in China, the Civil Aviation Authority is planning an upgrade of Chek Lap Kok's Air Traffic Control system to support ADS-B technology – a next generation air transportation system which gives pilots and navigators a better sense of its position compared with the present radar-based system, easing congestion and as such minimising both the time that aircraft spends taxiing and circling airports whilst waiting to land. Such measures are expected to save around 1,655 tonnes of jet fuel each year at an airport, which translates into savings of US$1.17 million in fuel costs for the airlines using Hong Kong International Airport and a reduction of 5,230 tonnes of CO2 a year.
Plane Talking
China takes the stage
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