Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Airlines flew an unmodified Boeing 747 from London to Amsterdam using a biofuel made of a mix of coconut and babassu oil. Partnered with Boeing, GE Aviation, and Imperium Renewables, this was the first commercial flight powered by biofuel.
There is still a debate whether or not there is a significant benefit to the environment, many believe the biofuel powered flight produced far less CO2 than regular jet fuel but it will take weeks for the data to be analyzed from last week’s flight.
Commenting on the first ever airline flight using biofuel, Sir Richard Branson, the President of Virgin Atlantic, said:
“Today marks a biofuel breakthrough for the whole airline industry. Virgin Atlantic, and its partners, are proving that you can find an alternative to traditional jet fuel and fly a plane on new technology, such as sustainable biofuel. This pioneering flight will enable those of us who are serious about reducing our carbon emissions to go on developing the fuels of the future, fuels which will power our aircraft in the years ahead through sustainable next-generation oils, such as algae.”
He’s well aware of the impact this can have on food prices, so I was happy to see him go on to say:
“We did not want to use biofuels such as corn oil which were competing with staple food sources,” he said, adding he believed algae produced in places like sewage treatment farms were the most likely future source of renewable fuel for the airline industry.
It bothers me to hear that some of the analysts with doubt call this a publicity stunt. No matter, it’s a significant attempt to improve the environment, and the companies should be praised for their efforts.