Alternative fuel can power 15pc of flights by 2020: Airbus

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
DUBAI: Alternative fuels could power 15 per cent of global air traffic by 2020 and 30 percent by 2030, European aircraft-maker

Airbus said at the Dubai Airshow on Tuesday. “If we get the right sources, it is possible that 15 per cent of the world’s jet fuel will come from sustainable sources by 2020, and 30 per cent will come from sustainable sources by 2030,” said Ross Walker, engineering programme manager for alternative fuels at Airbus.

“The challenge is finding sustainable feedstocks” that do not take land and water used for food production, he said.

Walker said the alternative or sustainable fuels he was referring to were based on gas or biomass and converted to liquid.

He described algae, which can be grown in salt water, as a promising source of biomass for alternative fuels. “We believe this is the golden chalice we’ve been looking for.”

“If an area the size of the United Arab Emirates were planted with algae, it could produce enough bio jet fuel to support the world’s civil aviation industry,” he said.

Airbus was focusing on “drop-in fuels,” or fuels that can be used in existing aircraft without modifications, he said.

Walker pointed out that the whole aircraft manufacturing industry, including engine and airframe manufacturers, were collaborating on alternative fuel projects.