Boeing, Etihad Airways, Takreer, Total and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology announced January 19 that they will collaborate to support a sustainable aviation biofuel industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The UAE is among a
handful of countries that have produced and flown on their own aviation
biofuel, which emits at least 50% less carbon dioxide than fossil
fuel over its lifecycle. The development is aligned with the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, which seeks to develop sustainable energy
sources to diversify the national economy and increase workforce
opportunities for Emiratis.
BIOjet Abu Dhabi: Flight Path to Sustainability will develop a comprehensive framework for a UAE biofuel supply chain. This initiative will focus on research and development and investments in feedstock production and refining capability in the UAE and globally.
The effort has already led to a successful 45-minute demonstration flight by Etihad Airways in a Boeing 777 powered in part by UAE-produced sustainable aviation biofuel. The biofuel was partially converted from plants by Total and refined into jet fuel by Takreer, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC).
"In collaboration with our key partners, our goal is to support and help drive the commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel in Abu Dhabi, the region and also globally," said Etihad Airways President and CEO James Hogan.
"We have made some important first steps in this process and our continued focus will be to develop further initiatives such as this which will facilitate the availability of sustainable aviation biofuels for Etihad Airways in the coming years."
Boeing and Etihad Airways are also founding partners of the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium, hosted by the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi. The consortium has been researching and developing salt-tolerant plants that would form the raw material for the same refining processes used to produce renewable fuel for the Etihad Airways flight.
Takreer CEO Jasem Ali Al Sayegh said the company supports the use of biofuel as a sustainable aviation fuel for a cleaner future in line with ADNOC's sustainability policy. "We see this strategy as complementary to our future plans in meeting the rapid growth in demand for jet fuel in the country and the region in view of the expansion of the operations of airlines here," he said.
Etihad Airways is an airline industry leader in supporting the development of lower-carbon renewable fuels. A member of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG), the airline operated the Gulf region's first biofuel flight in January 2011 with a Boeing 777 delivery from Seattle to Abu Dhabi powered by a blend of petroleum-based and certified plant oil-based jet fuel.
Boeing collaborates with airlines, research institutions, governments and other stakeholders to develop sustainable biofuel supply chains around the world, including the US, Middle East, China, Brazil, Europe and Australia.
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