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Lufthansa looks set to conclude its biofuel trial with its
first biofuel-powered transatlantic flight, after the airline
admitted that the future of its biofuel programme now rested
on its ability to source sufficient sustainable jet biofuels.
A Boeing 747-400 will leave Frankfurt bound for Washington
DC carrying around 40 tonnes of a biosynthetic fuel mix, which
the company estimates will reduce CO2
emissions by 38 tonnes - roughly equivalent to six scheduled
flights between Frankfurt and Berlin.
The flight looks to be the final act in a trial that
has seen Lufthansa complete 1,187 domestic flights between
Frankfurt and Hamburg using a 50/50 blend of regular
fuel and biosynthetic kerosene in one of the plane's
engines.
From mid-July to the end of December, it used up 1,566 tonnes
of biokerosene mix, saving an estimated 1,471 tonnes of CO2
in the process.
Lufthansa
hailed the trial as a success and said the higher energy density
of biofuels meant it reduced fuel consumption by more than
one per cent during the flights, while the fuel also proved
to be free of polluting sulphur and aromatic compounds.
"Our burnFAIR project went off smoothly and to our fullest
satisfaction," said Joachim Buse, vice president of aviation
biofuel at Lufthansa. "As expected, biofuel proved its worth
in daily flight operations."
However, while the company said biofuels would play a major
role in helping airlines meet an industry-wide goal of halving
2005 levels of emissions by 2050, Buse confirmed its use of
alternative fuels on commercial flights will be suspended
until more sustainable fuels can be identified.
"As a next step, we will focus on the suitability, availability,
sustainability and certification of raw materials," he said.
"However, Lufthansa will only continue the practical trial
if we are able to secure the volume of sustainable, certified
raw materials required in order to maintain routine operations."
Airlines are coming under increased pressure to cut emissions
as a result of volatile oil prices and their inclusion
in the EU's emissions trading scheme.
However, green campaigners are concerned increasing demand
for biofuels will lead to energy crops being grown on land
that should be used for producing food.
The industry has countered by arguing that biofuels will
only supplement standard fuels rather than replace them, while
many carriers have invested in so-called next generation biofuels
that should not impinge on food production.
For example, BA has stated its intention to start using a
fuel derived from waste from 2015 - and has invested in a
plant in east London to produce it - while Virgin Atlantic
is investigating a fuel made from waste gases that could be
running part of its fleet by 2014.
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