Boeing will promote the development of biofuel in China

announced cooperation with senior officials in the country's energy sector, to promote and develop biofuel for civilian use

The aircraft manufacturer Boeing announced at the end of last week that it has undertaken, together with PetroChina and other leading Chinese entities in the energy and aviation sectors, to promote the field of environmentally friendly biofuel in the civil aviation industry in China. Boeing and the partners in the project signed the first agreement of principles of its kind in China, the purpose of which is to advance the development efforts of alternative fuel, while presenting the environmental, economic and social benefits of this "green" trend.

As part of the initiative, Boeing, together with its partners, will examine the development process of biofuels in all its aspects, starting with agronomy and infrastructure, through input/output analyzes and the assessment of the impact of fuel emissions on the environment, up to supporting government regulation on the subject.

The initiative, scheduled to begin full operations in June, provides additional support to the intergovernmental agreement between China's National Energy Administration and the US Trade and Development Agency to promote biofuels for civilian use in China, as part of the US-China private partnership ECP. Among the American companies partnering in this initiative: AECOM, UOP from the Honeywell Group and United Technologies. The Chinese side of the partnership in this initiative will be led by Air China and PetroChina.

In addition, the R&D division of the Boeing Company signed an agreement to expand research collaboration with the Bioenergy Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Qingdao (QIBEBT), for the joint development of algae-based biofuel with other research institutes as well as with leading suppliers in the field of aviation. Boeing and the Chinese Bioenergy Institute have previously announced the establishment of an R&D laboratory in the field of algae research, to investigate the technologies of growing, collecting and processing algae. The joint laboratory for the development of the biofuel will be established in Qingdao and will be managed jointly by Boeing's R&D division and the research institute, with the aim of developing technologies for commercial use.

Planning the maiden flight
The partners in the venture - Air China, PetroChina, Boeing and UOP from the Honeywell Group - announced the maiden flight using the biofuel that will be produced from biomass that will be grown and processed in China. PetroChina will supply the biomass which will be processed into biofuel by UOP. The "green" flight will take place in China and it will actually demonstrate the ability to produce biofuel - from the seeding phase to the flight phase. More details about the maiden flight will be provided later.

"Boeing is investing heavily in biofuel development around the world," says Boeing China President David Wang.
The ability of sustainable biofuel to reduce carbon emission levels while reducing airlines' dependence on fossil fuel produced from fossils. The agreements we have just signed testify to China's strong desire to develop clean fuel for the aviation industry."

Boeing's civil aviation division, together with the company's leading R&D division, work together and in collaboration with airlines, research institutes and environmental organizations to develop alternative fuel for the aviation industry. The development of biofuel means a significant reduction in carbon emission levels, while ensuring the selection of organic sources that do not harm the global food chain, do not require fresh water sources and do not lead to unwanted changes in land use.

For more details on Boeing's biofuel projects: www.newairplane.com/environment, www.SAFUG.org.