A significant group of major airlines is committing to using more environmentally friendly, U.S. produced, alternative jet fuel. The Air Transport Association of America, Inc. (ATA), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, announced today that a core group of airlines has signed a memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with two different producers – AltAir Fuels LLC and Rentech, Inc. – for a future supply of alternative aviation fuel.
Twelve major airlines from the United States, Canada, Germany and Mexico – Air Canada, American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines, FedEx Express, JetBlue Airways, Lufthansa German Airlines, Mexicana Airlines, Polar Air Cargo, United Airlines, UPS Airlines and US Airways – have signed MOUs with both producers. In addition, Seattle-based Alaska Airlines and Honolulu-based Hawaiian Airlines signed the MOU with AltAir Fuels, and Orlando-based AirTran Airways signed the MOU with Rentech.
The companies state that these alternative fuels will be more environmentally friendly, on a life cycle basis, than today’s jet fuels. This domestically produced fuel will create jobs and bolster U.S. energy independence.
The AltAir Fuels project contemplates the production of approximately 75 million gallons per year of jet fuel and diesel fuel derived from camelina oils (plant-based) or comparable feedstock, refined at a new AltAir Fuels plant to be located at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes, Wash. The Rentech project in Adams County, Miss., contemplates the production of approximately 250 million gallons per year of synthetic jet fuel derived principally from coal or petroleum coke, with the resultant carbon dioxide sequestered and the carbon footprint potentially further reduced by integrating biomass as a feedstock.
source: airlines.org related: camelina – a better source of biofuel? / 5 diverse sources of biofuel
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If they want to stay in business I think they have to be committed to alternative fuels since we won’t have cheap petroleum indefinitely.
Personally I’d like to see airlines keep their heads buried in the ground and collapse… then replace them with a modern train system. With so many virtual ways for people to meet it seems terribly foolish to spend so much time traveling a such high speeds and at such high environmental cost.
Coal, yikes. Always suspicious of plans to use anything that calls itself “clean coal”
Mr. Janzen, how do you get across an ocean by train?
I’m for a national train plan but will all other transport be by boat?
Think more work on biofuels is merited here for air travel. Expensive petroleum will just mean only rich people fly.
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