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Airbus partnering in China, too
changes required, together with the associated costs. At the signing he said that he is keen to On 27 August, Airbus announced that it had see the research produce positive effects on joined in a new partnership in China to speed energy conservation, emissions reduction and up the commercialisation of alternative avia- also its potential for a positive impact on tion fuels. It has signed an agreement with the climate change. From an Airbus perspective, Tsinghua University to complete a sustain- as with Boeing, the Chinese market is simply too important to ignore and, ability analysis of Chinese feedby getting up close to develstocks and, to evaluate how best opments that will help keep its to support the development of a growth sustainable, everyone value chain to speed up the “We’ve looked at The ultimate goal is commercialisation of biofuels in many alternatives benefits. to see a complete sustainable China. The first phase is aviation bio-fuel production assessing suitable feedstocks that and green slime capability in China using only comply with ecological, burns very well!” sustainable resources. Airbus economic and social sustainis working to have such a ability criteria. The analysis will value chain in place in every be managed by Airbus and involves close co-operation between the continent by the close of 2012 and has already Tinghua and leading European institutions. established them in Latin America, Australia, Phase two will narrow down the most Europe, the Middle East and now, with China, promising alternative fuel solutions. The initial also in the Asia Pacific region. results are expected to be analysed in the second half of this year and includes both In the air cooking oil and algae, with the full sustainability analysis available early next year. After The introduction of small-scale biofuel this, the partners will scale up the alternative commercial operations has been underway on fuel production process to achieve sustainable an evaluation basis for several years and the quantities of aviation fuel for commercial use. bio pace is now increasing. Back in February The project manager, Professor Zhang Xilang, 2008, Virgin Atlantic made its first commercial Director of the Institute of Energy, bio-fuel flight with a Boeing 747-400, albeit a Environment and Economy, at Tinghua short hop from Heathrow to Amsterdam, University, said that the project with Airbus using a blended jet fuel comprising kerosene, would help understanding of the nature of babassu and coconut oils. This was partnered bio-fuels commercialisation in China, identify with GE and Imperium Renewables. The the challenges and opportunities and evaluate same month, a Rolls-Royce-powered Air New the social, economic, market and technology Zealand 747-400 used a blended jatropha-
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Over 1,500 commerical flights have already taken place using alternative fuels in the past five years including this one from Air France . Airbus
aviation fuel a year from recycled cooking oil in a relatively short period and it has been claimed that if schemes for collection and recycling of cooking and other waste oils were to be put in place on a national scale, as part of a comprehensive programme, there could be enough to provide blended jet fuel for all China’s civil air transport needs. If such schemes could become global, and there would no doubt be challenging infrastructure and cultural issues to overcome, then this, alongside other biofuel production, could be an important component in the efforts to ensure there are no aviation fuel shortages later this century. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) and Boeing, only last month opened a new laboratory in Beijing which will initially study and develop the scope for converting so-called ‘gutter oil’ into aviation fuel. This is seen as a major opportunity for Boeing to work closely with China in a partnership that will address meeting the future fuel requirements of what is destined to become the world’s largest aviation market over the next two decades. China is already the US company’s largest export market and has been involved for some time in partnered biofuel development activities which include flight trials aboard a Boeing 747 with blended fuel derived from the oily seeds of the non-edible jatropha plant. Other biofuel investigations have included research and development projects focused on algae, salt-water grasses and various oil seeds. At the moment, Boeing believes that bringing to market sufficient quantities of biofuels that will compete with conventional fuels on cost and availability could take another ten years, though the CAA of China is aware that it needs to reduce the nation’s environmental footprint as its aviation sector expands. It has said that it expects 30% of its jet fuel requirements to be met by biofuels by 2020. However, the huge problem it has to overcome is to balance this stated aspiration with unprecedented increases in demand. This year’s total of 300m air travellers is due to increase to 1·5bn over the next 20 years and, in 2011, the Chinese government announced plans to build another 56 airports over the next five years, as if to underline its determination to keep economic growth and connectivity as a priority. The Beijing Aeronautical Science and Technology Research Institute is heavily involved in projects, many in partnership with domestic and foreign organisations, on energy conservation developments and emissions reduction technology. So, the western aviation community has a big stake in helping China manage its civil aviation growth in a sustainable way and it isn’t just Boeing that is signing up partnership deals to help this along.
October 2012 Aerospace International