Flight is getting greener. The Houston Business Journal reports that United Airlines flight 1403 from Houston to Chicago on November 7 was the first US commercial passenger flight to use biofuel. Honeywell Green Jet Fuel from UOP, a Honeywell company, is refined from algae, animal byproducts and camelina, a plant that does not compete with food crops. The resulting bio-oil is then blended 50/50 with conventional jet fuel.
The biofuel mix offers higher energy density that should improve passenger miles per gallon -- the national airline average is 43.13 passenger mpg. Even more important, the Green Jet Fuel generates 60 to 85% less greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum-based jet fuel. By comparison conventional jet fuel produces 23.9 lbs. of CO2 per gallon burned, automobile gasoline 19.6 lbs. and Green Jet Fuel just 3.6 to 9.6 lbs.
Even the hottest jet engines can use the new biofuel without modification. The US Navy is using Green Jet Fuel in its F/A-18 Green Hornet supersonic jet equipped with afterburners. Not to be outdone, the Air Force now powers its Thunderbirds performance aerobatics team with it, too.
Look for wider adoption as jet fuel prices continue to rise, and "Powered by Biofuel" decals on private and commercial jets.
