Archived News

Airlines support military long-term contracting authority (06/16/2010)
    On May 25, 2010, the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) transmitted a letter to the leadership of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees endorsing the Department of Defense’s formal request for long-term (up to 20 years) contracting authority for alternative fuels and renewable energy. Such authority would be a major support to military and civilian efforts to jumpstart an alternative jet fuel industry.

See the letter.

United Airlines Conducts First Flight in U.S. of a Commercial Aircraft Using Synthetic Jet Fuel (04/30/2010)
    Chicago, April 30--United Airlines today completed the first flight by a U.S. commercial airline using natural gas synthetic jet fuel, demonstrating United's commitment to the advancement of alternative fuels in commercial aviation using fuel that is safe and approved for use in commercial aircraft. The engineering validation flight was conducted using certified synthetic jet fuel produced by Rentech, Inc. and approved for commercial use by the passage of a new standard by ASTM International in September. The fuel was a 40/60 mix of synthetic fuel with conventional Jet A fuel in one of two engines on an Airbus 319 aircraft. "This flight confirms our assumptions about how this fuel performs on a commercial aircraft and is the next step in our effort to stimulate competition in the aviation fuel supply chain, promote energy security, environmental benefits, and the creation of green jobs," said Joseph Kolshak, United Airlines senior vice president of operations. "United continues to support the use of alternative fuels, and we urge the U.S. government and the investment community to further support critical energy opportunities."

Read the full news story

PARTNER releases latest Alternative Jet Fuel life cycle analysis (04/29/2010)
    The Partnership for AiR Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction (PARTNER) released a report on their most recent analysis of alternative jet fuel life cycle greenhouse gas emissions as part of ongoing research under PARTNER Project 28 to properly account for the environmental costs and benefits of introducing alternative fuels.

The broad Project 28 objective is to evaluate the relative environmental impacts of multiple potential alternative aviation fuels that are compatible with existing aircraft and infrastructure. This extends from the fuel origin, as it is produced; to its end, as combustion products enter the environment; what is referred to as a "well-to-wake analysis." The focus of Project 28 is on the creation and use of an aviation-specific life-cycle analysis framework to assess the alternative fuel environmental impacts from well-to-wake. This proposed analysis framework builds on existing well-to-tank and tank-to-wake methodologies.

View the report on Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Alternative Jet Fuels in pdf format (5.5M).

Navy "Green Hornet" Takes Flight (04/23/2010)
    Patuxent River, MD April 22, 2010--To celebrate Earth Day the Navy conducted the first supersonic flight using biofuel with an F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft powered with a 50% blend of petroleum jet and hydroprocess renewable jet (HRJ) made from camelina seed.

Read more on the White House blog.

Air Force conducts first biofuel flight test in a military aircraft (3/26/2010)
    The Air Force conducted the first-ever flight test yesterday of a military aircraft powered by a biofuel-jet fuel blend.

An Eglin Air Force Base, Florida A-10 Thunderbolt II jet flew a 90-minute test of a blend of 50 percent jet fuel and 50 percent biofuel made from camelina. The pilot reported afterwards that the aircraft performed normally.

CAAFI member UOP produced the biofuel from Camelina -- a flowering, non-edible plant in the mustard family and grown in Montana. UOP is under contract with the Defense Energy Support Center to produce 600,000 gallons of the camelina blend for the Air Force and the Navy. The fuel is similar to what was flown in a commercial aircraft last year.

See a news story and video of the flight.

Airlines and Department of Defense sign strategic alliance to promote alternative fuels (3/19/2010)
    Washington, D.C. -- the Defense Logistics Agency’s Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) and the Air Transport Association of America, Inc. (ATA) signed a strategic alliance agreement today. This partnership supports the development and deployment of commercially viable, environmentally friendly, alternative aviation fuels. The intent of the strategic alliance is to establish a collaborative forum focused on spurring aviation alternative fuels market growth and the alliance directs the formation of three collaborative teams composed of ATA and DESC representatives, with each team focused on specific developmental and marketing goals. This collaboration is a step forward in reinforcing the importance of alternative fuels for both industry and government and complements CAAFI’s ongoing efforts in R&D, environment and certification.

See the press release from ATA.

2010 Dubbed “Jet Spring” for "Stunning Developments" in Aviation Biofuels (Biofuels Digest; 3/3/2010)
    Due to a series of recent developments, including the recent airline MOUs to purchase ground fuels and negotiate aviation fuel purchases, British Airways’ announcement about its planned waste-to-fuel facility, and a series of test flights, the Biofuels Digest has dubbed this season as “Jet Spring.” See the article here.

Aviation biofuels session to be held at the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference April 27-29 (1/28/2010)
    The Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference presented by Biofuels Digest & Alliance Associates, will include a half day session on April 29 on aviation biofuels in which CAAFI business team members will appear as speakers.

The Conference Announcement and links for more information and to register are included below:

ANNOUNCING 3RD MORNING ADDED

- A new aviation biofuels program
- Produced in cooperation with the Air Transport Association (ATA) and the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI)
- New speakers include ATA, CAAFI, military aviation; plus panelists from American Airlines, US Airways, FedEx, Lufthansa

With this major program addition, organizers have EXTENDED EARLY BIRD discount rates through 2/8/10.

Note: More than half the conference seats are sold out - so please do not assume that conference tickets will be available at the last minute.

Conference Sponsors will include the US Department of Energy, Iogen, Chromatin, and PetroAlgae, with more set to be announced this week and in February.

The CEOs presenting at the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference represent 69 percent of planned advanced biofuels capacity.
- Networking opportunity with advanced biofuels leadership and end-users
- Convenient for "fly-ins" to DC for lobbying
- Award presentation for The 50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy.

The Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference brings together the leaders of cellulosic ethanol, renewable diesel, renewable jet fuel, biobutanol, as well as advanced feedstocks such as algae and jatropha.

A special pre-conference workshop on April 27th will feature an interactive dialogue including the DOE, USDA and EPA, industry executives, investors, scientists...and you.

April 27-29, 2010
Hilton Embassy Row
Washington, DC

Conference agenda and speakers list
More conference information and hotel and registration can be found here:


CAAFI Wins Air Transport World Award (1/14/2010)
    Jan 14—Air Transport World (ATW) magazine announced today that its Joseph S. Murphy Industry Service Award for 2010 will be given to the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) in a ceremony in Singapore on February 1.

ATW has been the leading monthly magazine serving the needs of the global airline and commercial air transport manufacturing communities for 45 years. Named for the magazine’s founder, the Award will be given in recognition of CAAFI’s efforts to pave the way for use of sustainable biofuels in aviation.

“We are very gratified and thank the editors of ATW for this recognition,” said Richard Altman, CAAFI Executive Director. “CAAFI was founded on the vision that the closely networked, international and technologically driven aviation industry could successfully engage the alternative fuels industry and become a customer of choice. This award is evidence of the viability of that vision and a testament to the work of CAAFI's sponsors and stakeholders to turn the vision into an emerging and visible reality.”

Mr. Altman and Mr. John Heimlich, Air Transport Association of America Vice President and Chief Economist, will travel to Singapore to accept the award on behalf of CAAFI's sponsors and stakeholders.

See the ATW Awards Announcement, FAA Statement,
ATA Statement, and ACI-NA Statement.

Aviation Biofuels Companies Honored by Biofuels Digest (12/31/2009)
    December 31, 2009 -- Biofuels Digest announced that a group of companies associated with the advancement of aviation biofuels will receive awards at the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference in Washington, DC on April 27-28, 2010. Solazyme, Sapphire Energy, Sustainable Oils, Rentech, and Terasol will jointly receive the 'Company of the Year award for Achievement in Commercialization'. Biofuel processor UOP will be recognized with the 'Company of the Year Award for Achievement in Processing Technology'.

In a statement, Biofuels Digest editor Jim Lane said, “aviation biofuels have not only made huge progress, they represent the consensus choice of environmentalists, policymakers, and end users as a superior alternative to fossil-based aviation fuels." He went on to recognize a number of organizations, including CAAFI, for "immense efforts" in support of renewable aviation fuels. Biofuels Digest is a world leading biofuels daily.

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