The assessment, slated to begin in June, supports a broader sustainable aviation biofuel agreement between China’s National Energy Administration and the US Trade and Development Agency to promote the commercialization and use of aviation biofuels in China through the US-China Energy Cooperation Program (ECP), a public-private partnership.
Other US companies participating include AECOM, Honeywell’s UOP and United Technologies. Air China and PetroChina Company will lead the Chinese team.
In addition, Boeing Research & Technology and the Chinese Academy of Science’s Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) agreed to expand their collaboration to include other research institutions and aviation supply chain entities as part of their efforts on algae-based aviation biofuel development.
Boeing and QIBEBT previously announced the establishment of a joint research and development laboratory focused on algal growth, harvesting and processing technologies. The Joint Laboratory for Sustainable Aviation Biofuels will be located in Qingdao and managed by Boeing Research & Technology-China and QIBEBT, which will work together to place a strong emphasis on commercial applications for developed technologies.
Finally, Air China, PetroChina, Boeing and Honeywell’s UOP agreed to conduct an inaugural flight using sustainable biofuel derived from biomass grown and processed in China. PetroChina will provide the biomass, which will be processed into jet fuel by UOP. The biofuel flight, which will occur in China, will highlight the viability of the entire supply chain – from seed to flight.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Boeing Research & Technology, the company’s advanced central research, technology and innovation organization, are working with global airlines, academia, environmental organizations and industry to develop a renewable aviation fuel supply.
