Is it feasible to use biofuel in the aviation? The first test flight using biofuel in China's aviation industry on Oct. 28 conducted by Chinese and U.S. giants proved that the answer is yes!

According to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Development of the Aviation Biofuel Industry within the framework of the China-U.S. Energy Cooperation Project as well as the relevant arrangements on China's sustainable aviation biofuel development, Air China, the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), China National Aviation Fuel (CNAF), U.S. Boeing, Honeywell UOP, Pratt and Whitney and some other giant enterprises have cooperated closely and jointly implemented the first test flight using biofuel in China's aviation sector at the Beijing Capital International Airport on Oct. 28.

During this test, Air China used a commissioned 747-700 Boeing passenger plane with a fuel mixture of biofuel and traditional aviation kerosene at a ration of 1-to-1 to carry out the test flight. The biofuel was produced jointly by the CNPC and U.S. Honeywell UOP, while Boeing and Pratt and Whitney Group offered technical support for the planes and engine for this flight, and the CNAF offered services of mixing the aviation fuels and filling the mixed fuel.

The technical data of the test flight showed that all the performances and indexes of the biofuel have met or even surpassed the quality standards of current aviation fuel. The biofuel could be used without alterations to the plane and its engine.

The biofuel could be used by mixing with the traditional fossil fuel directly. Experts said that if biofuel could realize large-scale production and commercialization and meet the Aviation Airworthiness Certification Standards, it is very possible that the aviation biofuel will be considered an effective solution for the environmental and energy problems of the civil aviation industry.

Source: People’s Daily