Archived News

CAAFI recieves Williams Trophy
    On Friday, December 2, the Washington Airports Task Force (WATF) presented the Williams Trophy to the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) Executive Director Richard Altmand and the CAAFI team for successfully coordinating worldwide efforts to develop, deploy and introduce into daily airline service jet biofuels with a dramatically reduced carbon footprint. Marion Blakey, President and CEO or Aerospace Industries Association, recognized CAAFI's contributions during the annual meeting of Washington Airports Task Force and President Leo Schefer presented the award to CAAFI Executive Director Richard Altman.

The Williams Trophy is awarded annually to recognize those whose leadership, vision and dedication in the application of aviation or space has enriched the quality of life on earth. The trophy commemorates the work of Carrington Williams (1919-2002), among whose many accomplishments was the creation of the Virginia Port Authority and the transformation of Washington Dulles into a major international gateway. Previous awardees of the trophy include John Glenn, Elizabeth Dole, Linwood Holton, General Jack Dailey, USMC (ret), and Marion Blakey.

Spanish airline Iberia flies on biofuels
    October 3, 2011--Spanish airline Iberia joined the ranks of commercial carriers that have flown on biofuels with Spain’s first commercial flight on an Airbus A320 from Madrid to Barcelona using a blend of fuel made from the inedible camelina plant.

Spain has a national effort for the production and consumption of bio jet fuel for aviation. Coordinated bythe Observatory for Sustainability in Aviation (OBSA), it seeks to foster the development of an alternative, safe and sustainable biojet fuel industry in Spain.

USAF to purchase and test alcohol to jet fuel
    September 28--The U.S. Defense Logistics agency announced the first department of Defense contract for purchase of Alcohol to Jet (ATJ) fuel. Advanced biofuel producer Gevo will supply the USAF with 7,000 gallons of fuel. The fuel will be shipped to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where the Air Force will finish lab testing and begin engine testing. DLA has the option to order up to an additional 4,000 gallons at the end of the contract.

The ATJ fuel is scheduled to be produced from isobutanol. The company plans to begin shipping product to the USAF in the first quarter of 2012. The planned USAF testing will advance progress towards eventual approval of a third alternative jet fuel pathway.

USDA funds regional advanced biofuels development
    9/28/2011 Seattle—U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced five major agricultural research projects aimed at developing regional advanced biofuel markets, generating rural jobs, and decreasing America’s dependence on foreign oil.

The grants announced by Vilsack in Seattle came via USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Research teams from the University of Washington; Washington State University; Iowa State University; Louisiana State University; and, the University of Tennessee and private sector partners received a total of $136 million to develop sustainable feedstock production systems using such feedstocks as woody biomass, switchgrass, energy cane, and sorghum. The project at Washington State University aims to develop a regional source of renewable aviation fuel for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Vilsack made the announcement with partners from private industry, research institutions, and the biofuels industry at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Vilsack also highlighted how USDA is working with federal partners like the Department of Energy, Department of the Navy and the Federal Aviation Administration to improve our country's energy security and provide sustainable jobs in communities across the country. CAAFI’s Environment team co-lead, Dr. Lourdes Maurice, was in attendance.

CAAFI Team member honored with Presidential award
    9/27/2011--Yesterday President Obama named 94 researchers as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. Dr. Kristin C. Lewis, CAAFI's Head Research and Technical Advisor and employee of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Volpe National Transportation Systems Center was among this elite group of awardees.

CAAFI Executive Director, Richard Altman, said, "Dr. Lewis’ participation on the CAAFI team have contributed immeasurably to our success. Her leadership has ranged from structuring CAAFI's R&D team, linking it closely with our environmental team efforts, and strengthening our government partnerships with both USDA and DOE. This recognition from the White House of Kristin’s outstanding accomplishments and future promise is very well deserved.”

AFRL Alternative Fuels team Wins the Theodor Von Karman Award
    The Air Force Association recognized the Air Force Research Lab's Alternative Fuels team with the 2011 Theodore Von Karman Award for the most outstanding contribution in the field of science and engineering.

The team was presented the award at the Air Force Association's annual convention, in Washington D.C., on Sept. 19. The research award is named after Dr. Theodore von Karman, the famous aeronautical scientist and engineer who, in 1945, was appointed the First Chairman of USAF Scientific Advisory Board, was the inaugural recipient of the National Medal of Science and is attributed with founding the Jet Propulsion Labs in 1944 in Pasadena, CA.

"The AFRL team's contributions were key to the successful approval for commercial use of two alternative fuels by standard setting organization ASTM International," said Richard Altman, CAAFI Executive Director. "The team members are key CAAFI partners and they are richly deserving of this very prestigious award."

U.S. and Australia to Cooperate to Develop Alternative Aviation Fuels
    9/13/2011 -- Today at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting of Transportation and Energy Ministers in San Francisco, The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Australia’s Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate in research and development of clean, sustainable alternative aviation fuels. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Australian Ambassador to the United States Kim Beazley signed the agreement today.

“Air travel is global and we need international partners to develop these innovative new fuels,” Secretary LaHood said. “Our ultimate goal is to work with all of the Asia Pacific nations to achieve a sustainable, independent energy future for aviation, and this is an exciting first step.”

The MOU enables Australia and the United States to exchange information on policies, programs, projects, and research results, and to conduct joint studies in areas such investigation of new fuel sources and conducting environmental impacts.

See the FAA's press release.

Washington Airports Task Force to Award CAAFI the 2011 Williams Trophy
    August 18, 2011 - Leo Schefer, President of the Washington Airports Task Force, announced the nomination of CAAFI to receive the 2011 Williams Trophy for its successful coordination of worldwide efforts to develop, certify and produce bio-jet fuels called HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids), with reduced carbon footprint, into daily airline service.

To read the press release by Washington Airports Task Force, please click here.

Navy, Energy and USDA announce $510M for Advanced Biofuels
    8/16/2011 - The Obama Administration today announced a partnership between industry and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Navy to produce advanced drop-in aviation and marine biofuels to power military and commercial transportation.

President Obama made the announcement during a stop in Iowa, at the same time Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus held a telephone conference call with the press.

The three Departments will invest a total of up to $510 million over three years to jointly construct or retrofit several drop-in biofuel plants and refineries via a forthcoming request for proposals (RFP).

Read more at Biofuels Digest.
Listen to the entire press conference at the bottom of this article.

See aviation biofuel video interviews of two CAAFI sponsors
    Two CAAFI experts sat down for informative interviews with the Innovation Analysis Group. See them by clicking on the links below:

John Heimlich, Senior Economist at CAAFI sponsor Air Transport Association of America (ATA) on US airlines perspective on price and scale of biofuel supply.

Katherine Preston, Director, Environmental Affairs at CAAFI sponsor Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) about how airports view the biofuels issue and what their role in the development of these fuels is.

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