Sustainable Biofuels

Viable fuels from renewable resources

One of today's most pressing�and exciting�challenges is the search for a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Boeing is working aggressively to determine the best alternatives and help ensure a viable commercial market for their use by aviation. - Why biofuels? Extracting and burning fossil fuels increases the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Biofuels are the only fuel type where the source (a plant) absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere�helping to offset the emissions produced when they are consumed and moving us closer to carbon neutrality. - Are all biofuels equal? Not at all. Many people are familiar with ethanol and biodiesel, biofuels primarily derived from corn and soybeans. Yet corn and soybeans are staple food crops and require large amounts of land and resources. This makes them unsustainable sources for biofuel. Sustainable biofuels don't compete with food sources; they require minimal land, water and energy to produce, and they provide economic value to the communities where they're grown. - Which sustainable biofuels appear most promising? It's unlikely that the demand for alternative fuels will be met by a single biofuel plant source, which makes a portfolio of solutions the best approach. Within this portfolio, examples of promising plant sources that meet the sustainability criteria include algae, babassu, halophytes and other saline grasses, jatropha and switchgrass. Algae are simple, photosynthetic plants lacking leaves and roots. Algae have the potential to deliver 150 times the oil yield of soybeans. Babassu is a native-growing Brazilian tree with a high-oil-yield nut. Economically advantageous to local communities, this tree helps fight deforestation by creating an economic alternative to clearing land. Halophytes are salt marsh grasses and other species growing in saline habitats. They don't compete with food because they grow in environments unsuitable for traditional crops. Early testing on these plants shows that they have high lipid�or plant-oil�content and can deliver very high yields per unit of land. Jatropha is a widely distributed, non-edible plant that grows well on non-arable land and features a high-oil-yield nut. It shows strong potential to help fight desertification in arid regions and thereby reduce climate change impacts and add economic value to developing-world economies if grown sustainably. - The promise of algae Algae are particularly compelling sustainable plant sources for biofuels. Supplying the entire worldwide commercial airline fleet with 100-percent-sustainable biofuel from soybeans would require enough square kilometers to create a landmass larger than all of Europe. Comparatively, doing the same using 100-percent-sustainable biofuel from algae would require just 35,000 square kilometers, a landmass roughly the size of Belgium. Algae will also grow in places where we can't currently grow crops, such as in brackish water, and they have the ability to absorb massive quantities of CO2. Recognizing the tremendous potential and benefits of algae, over 400 leading experts gathered for the world's first Algae Biomass Summit in November 2007. Attendees formed the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) to collectively push for algae-based energy solutions. ABO was officially chartered in May 2008. - Why is Boeing so interested in sustainable biofuels? The obvious: sustainable biofuels represent a major opportunity for reducing global aviation's greenhouse gas emissions. And fuel is one of the largest costs for airlines and their passengers. All of the sustainable biofuels Boeing is pursuing are "drop-in" fuels. This means that they do not require changes to aircraft or fueling infrastructure, and can be mixed with today's jet fuel. This makes sustainable biofuels extremely promising for near-term use -- aircraft could be flying on a percentage of sustainable biofuel in the next 5-10 years. The not-so-obvious: New processing methods can create sustainable biofuels that perform better than petroleum-based fuels. Also, global aviation is uniquely positioned to pioneer sustainable biofuels. Compared to hundreds of millions of cars worldwide and the vast infrastructure serving them, commercial aviation is comprised of fewer than 20,000 aircraft and only a few hundred airport fueling stations. Our smaller scale and less complex infrastructure put us in a position to make big changes that make a real difference to the global environment and local economies. Boeing is working with its industry partners to help accelerate the development of a viable market for sustainable aviation biofuels. Learn more about this effort - watch the video feature - What is Boeing doing right now to advance sustainable biofuels? 1) We're evaluating potential plant sources and processing methods to develop fuels that meet performance requirements for current and future airplanes. 2) We're working with customers to develop viable supply models for using sustainable biofuels in their fleets. 3) We're collaborating with airlines, engine companies and fuel suppliers to demonstrate and certify the technical capabilities of sustainable biofuels. 4) We're in dialogue with policymakers and organizations to advance the socioeconomic and environmental benefits of sustainable biofuels.