Lufthansa Declares Biofuel Trials Successful, Ceases Using Biofuel
January 13th, 2012 by Charis Michelsen
The German airline Lufthansa has ceased its domestic trials of biofuel – but not because the trial failed. On the contrary, 1,471 tons of CO2 have been saved on over a thousand domestic flights between Frankfurt and Hamburg. Lufthansa is capping off its trial run with a transatlantic biofuel powered flight.
Burning the Biosynthetic Kerosene
The flight in question is a Boeing 747-400, from Frankfurt to Washington DC, and carrying 40 tons of a biosynthetic fuel mix. The expected CO2 emissions reduction compared to standard fuel is 38 tons. The international flight is the final step of Lufthansa’s test run, which used a 50/50 mix of standard fuel and biosynthetic kerosene.
The trial ran from July to December of last year, using a total of 1,566 tons of the biokerosene mix to save 1,471 tons of CO2, and has been declared a success. Not only were carbon emissions reduced, but the higher density of the biofuels also reduced fuel consumption during flights.
Joachim Buse, vice president of aviation biofuel at Lufthansa, as reported by Business Green, spoke briefly about ending the trial:
“Our burnFAIR project went off smoothly and to our fullest satisfaction. As expected, biofuel proved its worth in daily flight operations.”
It Was Great, But No Thanks
With such positive results, one might think that Lufthansa would be switching all their flights to the biofuel mix, but that would be totally wrong. While the biofuel itself performed admirably, the problem once again comes back to sustainability.
The biofuels available to today’s consumers and companies are neither sustainable nor, apparently, affordable. As reported by Business Green, Buse also noted that despite the need for emissions reduction, Lufthansa will not be using alternative fuels until they can get one that’s more sustainable:
“As a next step, we will focus on the suitability, availability, sustainability and certification of raw materials. However, Lufthansa will only continue the practical trial if we are able to secure the volume of sustainable, certified raw materials required in order to maintain routine operations.”
Food, Fuel, and the Ongoing Debate
It all comes back to the question of how to cheaply and safely produce biofuels without growing energy crops on land slated for producing food. One solution suggested by the transportation industry is to supplement standard fuel with biofuel rather than replace it (which is a wishy-washy sort of compromise). Another is to develop biofuel that doesn’t impinge on food production (so much easier said than done).
Any suggestions, questions, or comments? Let us know, below.
Source: Business Green | Image: Wikimedia Commons
Keep up to date with all the hottest cleantech news by subscribing to our (free) cleantech newsletter, or keep an eye on sector-specific news by getting our (also free) solar energy newsletter, electric vehicle newsletter, or wind energy newsletter.
About the Author
Charis Michelsen spent 7 years living in Germany and Japan, studying both languages extensively, doing translation and education with companies like Bosch, Nissan, Fuji Heavy, and others. Charis has a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and currently lives in Chicago, Illinois. She also believes that Janeway was the best Star Trek Captain.
Related Posts
Is Europe Leaving Electric Vehicle Range Anxiety Behind? →
Alpha Ventus Wind Farm Tops Forecasts →
European Offshore Wind Industry Looks Forward To Healthy 2015, Stark 2016 →
Pingback: San Diego Loves Green – The World: Biofuels
Pingback: ANA Crosses Pacific Ocean Powered By Cooking Oil
Pingback: Synthetic Negative-Carbon Gasoline Replacement is from California