According to the airline and research partner LanzaTech, the development represents a breakthrough in aviation fuel technology that will see waste gases from industrial steel production being captured, fermented and chemically converted using Swedish Bio-fuels technology for use as a jet fuel.
The process recycles waste gases that would otherwise be burnt into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, the companies said.
The technology is currently being piloted in New Zealand, and a larger demonstration facility will be commissioned later this year in Shanghai; the first commercial operation will be in place in China by 2014.
Virgin Atlantic said it will begin using the new fuel within two to three years on its routes from Shanghai and Delhi to London Heathrow as LanzaTech and partners develop production facilities in China and India.
Once those goals are met, Virgin Atlantic said a wider roll-out can be expected.
LanzaTech estimates that its process can apply to 65 percent of the world’s steel mills, allowing the fuel to be rolled out for worldwide commercial use. The energy company believes that this process can also apply to metals processing and chemical industries, growing its potential considerably further.
“We were the first commercial airline to test a bio-fuel flight and we continue to lead the airline industry as the pioneer of sustainable aviation,” said Sir Richard Branson, President of Virgin Atlantic. “This partnership to produce a next generation, low-carbon aviation fuel is a major step towards radically reducing our carbon footprint, and we are excited about the savings that this technology could help us achieve.
"With oil running out, it is important that new fuel solutions are sustainable, and with the steel industry alone able to deliver over 15 billion gallons of jet fuel annually, the potential is very exciting,” Branson continued. “This new technology is scalable, sustainable and can be commercially produced at a cost comparable to conventional jet fuel.”
Virgin Atlantic will be the first airline to use this fuel and will work with LanzaTech, Boeing and Swedish Bio-fuels towards achieving the technical approval required for using new fuel types in commercial aircraft.
“This technology will enable airlines to dramatically reduce their carbon footprint by reusing gases that would otherwise have been emitted directly into the atmosphere,” said Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, Chief Executive of LanzaTech. “It promotes sustainable industrial growth, as the process enables manufacturing plants to recycle their waste carbon emissions.
“While there is still work to be done and logistical hurdles to cross, we have excellent partners in Virgin Atlantic, Swedish Bio-fuels and Boeing and we are confident that we will have a facility with the capacity to produce fuel for commercial use by 2014,” Holmgren said.
For additional information:
Change is in the Air – Virgin Atlantic’s sustainability programme
