First biofuel jet makes test flight

[ravindar]

First biofuel jet makes test flight

New Delhi: The world's first biofuel flight flew from London to Amsterdam.

The Virgin Atlantic jumbo jet flew from London to Amsterdam with one of its fuel tanks filled with a bio-jet blend including babassu oil and coconut oil.

Virgin Atlantic founder Sir Richard Branson said it is a milestone in the development of cleaner fuels.

However, some environmentalists and scientists are skeptical.

"Today's Virgin Atlantic flight is a major milestone in the development of cleaner fuels. Our search for replacement for fossil fuel doesn't end today. This flight will act as a catalyst for further development and help us learn how best to reduce our carbon footprint in the future," said Branson

"Our search for replacement for fossil fuel doesn't end today.

This flight will act as a catalyst for further development and help us learn how best to reduce our carbon footprint in the future," he added.

The British billionaire however, said it was unlikely the nut of the wild growing babassu palm would play a key role as airlines turn to renewable fuel sources to cut the industry's greenhouse gas emissions.

Biofuels, which are currently mainly produced from crops such as grain, vegetable oils and sugar, are seen by advocates as a way to cut emissions of greenhouse gases and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

There has been concerns, however, that an expansion in the area of crops grown for energy has helped drive up food prices.

Some scientists have questioned the environmental benefits of so-called first generation biofuels.

Biofuels campaigner at 'Friends of the Earth' Kenneth Richter said Branson's biofuel flight was a "distraction" from real solutions to climate chance,

"We think that it is a bit of a gimmick and more than that we a distraction from the real solutions to climate change," he said,

"We are actually quite concerned about the impact of many biofuels, they have on the environment, people and on the food prices worldwide, and, additionally there is new research that shows that biofuels, actually, only reduce emissions very little," Ritcher added.

Many scientists believe so-called second-generation biofuels, which could be made from products such as municipal waste, will provide more substantial environmental benefits without competing with food crops for land.

The biofuels blend on the Virgin flight contained 20 per cent neat

biofuel and 80 percent conventional jet fuel. Branson said tests had shown it was possible to fly with a 40 percent blend.

Branson, whose Virgin Group business spans an airline, a rail service, drinks, hotels and leisure, has committed to spending all the profits from his airline and rail business to combat global warming by cutting carbon emissions.

Last year, Virgin started to power some of its trains using a fuel containing 20 per cent biodiesel produced mainly using British rapeseed oil blended with US soybean oil and palm oil from the Far East.

SOURCE: ibnlive.com

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