{"id":10661,"date":"2015-12-29T14:55:42","date_gmt":"2015-12-29T21:55:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=10661"},"modified":"2015-12-29T14:55:42","modified_gmt":"2015-12-29T21:55:42","slug":"seatac-boeing-alaska-airlines-partner-on-biofuel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/seatac-boeing-alaska-airlines-partner-on-biofuel\/","title":{"rendered":"SeaTac, Boeing, Alaska Airlines Partner on Biofuel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every ounce of biofuel that successfully makes its way through combustion in a jet engine is an ounce of fossil fuel that doesn’t need to be imported – even from Canada. \u00a0Biofuels generally burn cleaner, and may be necessary to allow the nation’s airlines to meet COP21 agreements. \u00a0Seattle-Tacoma Airport, partnering with Boeing and Alaska Airlines, hopes fill up all departing flights with biofuels made in its own fuel farm<\/a>. \u00a0 Officials from the Port of Seattle, Alaska Airlines and Boeing signed a\u00a0memorandum of understanding (MOU) to spend $250,000 on a Biofuel Infrastructure Feasibility Study on how much it will cost and what it will take to deliver a blend of aviation biofuel and conventional jet fuel to aircraft using Sea-Tac.<\/p>\n

The facility that springs from this study must “incorporate aviation biofuel into its infrastructure in a cost-effective, efficient manner.”<\/p>\n

Seattle Commissioner John Creighton predicts, \u201cAs leaders in aviation biofuels, this will send a signal to airlines and biofuel producers that Sea-Tac Airport will be ready to integrate commercial-scale use of aviation biofuels,\u201d and this, “will make Sea-Tac Airport an attractive option for any airline committing to use biofuel, and will assist in attracting biofuel producers to the region as part of a longer-term market development strategy.\u201d \u00a0The longer-term plan includes incorporating “significant quantities” of biofuel into the airport’s infrastructure, used by 26 airlines making more than 380,000 flights each year. Sea-Tac is the 13th<\/sup>\u00a0busiest airport in the U.S. and will serve over 42 million domestic and international passengers this year.<\/p>\n

\"alaska<\/a><\/p>\n

Joe Sprague, senior vice president of communications and external relations for Alaska Airlines, Sea-Tac\u2019s largest carrier and leader of the airport\u2019s fueling consortium,\u00a0says Seattle will be the first of two such facilities by year end 2016. \u00a0He explains,\u00a0\u201cBiofuel offers the greatest way to further reduce our emissions. \u00a0This study is a critical step in advancing our environmental goals <\/a>and stimulating aviation biofuel production in the Pacific Northwest.\u201d \u00a0This regional production would alleviate the environmental and economic costs of hauling aviation biofuels from out of state by truck, rail, or barge. \u00a0This blog has listed efforts to bring biofuel production to the airport itself<\/a>, eliminating the added costs of fuel transport. \u00a0Using local waste materials such as food, used cooking oil and rendered animal waste reduces several noxious elements from the local environment while providing a viable airline fuel. \u00a0 Alaska has noted the added advantage of reduced variability of costs for such biofuels, enabling better long-range planning.<\/p>\n

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\"Boeing<\/a>

Boeing has worked with partners worldwide to develop and deploy biofuels for its operations<\/p><\/div>\n

Boeing, which partners globally to develop and commercialize sustainable aviation biofuel<\/a>, \u00a0has been working with other aircraft manufacturers and provides expertise about approaches to develop a regional biofuel supply chain to serve the airport, including fuel types, fuel producers, processing technologies and integration with airplanes.<\/p>\n

Sheila Remes, Boeing’s Commercial Airplanes vice president of strategy. \u201cBoeing, Washington state\u2019s largest employer, is proud to work with our customer Alaska Airlines and the Port of Seattle to power every plane at Sea-Tac with a biofuel blend and lead the way for other airports to [reduce carbon emissions over the long run.\u201d<\/p>\n

The biofuels currently being used and planned for Sea-Tac’s fuel farm will be approved \u201cdrop-in\u201d blends for use\u00a0in airplanes without any changes to the aircraft or engines. \u00a0This allows use of existing airport infrastructure for refueling without major changes to equipment. \u00a0Such fuels can cut \u00a0lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions by 50 to 80 percent compared to conventional petroleum fuel, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Over 2,000 flights have used this blend since 2011, demonstrating its “transparent” use in actual operations. \u00a0Adding this experience to the Port\u2019s Century Agenda Goal – to reduce aircraft-related carbon emissions at Sea-Tac Airport by 25 percent by 2037,\u00a0will rely on the use of\u00a0biofuel as\u00a0a key strategy in this endeavor. \u00a0Acting as model for other airports, Seattle hopes to provide long-term technical support to others.<\/p>\n

In 2016,\u00a0Alaska will partner with Gevo, Inc.<\/a> to fly the first ever commercial flight on alcohol-to-jet fuel. and\u00a0to fly a demonstration flight using a new aviation biofuel made from forest-industry waste.\u00a0 Fuel for both demonstration flights must first be independently certified. \u00a0With all these options for making alternative fuels, there seems to be no end to potential supplies.<\/p>\n

As part of Boeing\u2019s commitment to protect the environment and support long-term sustainable growth for commercial aviation, the company partners globally with airlines, governments, research institutions, fuel companies and others to develop sustainable aviation biofuel. Boeing has active biofuel projects in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, the Middle East, South Africa and Southeast Asia. More information:<\/p>\n

Increasing the Number of Operations While Reducing Emissions Overall<\/strong>
\nAviation, from what Aviation: Benefits Beyond Borders<\/em>,<\/a> explains, provides a lifeline to many areas of the world that would be neglected without it, from bringing tourists to the otherwise barely accessible Cape Verde Islands to flying organs for transplants into remote areas of Brazil. This expanding use of aircraft is not increasing pollution in these areas, because, according to the organization, \u201cDespite growth in passenger numbers at an average of 5% each year, aviation has managed to decouple its emissions growth to around 3%.\u201d They attribute this to improved aircraft technology and new operating procedures.<\/p>\n