United to fuel flights with farm waste
If your blood tends to run eco-green and you’re interested in how flying impacts the environment then you’ll find this interesting – United Airlines is going to start fueling flights with biofuel created from a mix of domestic and farm waste along with animal fats. Let's just hope that the cabin doesn't smell like a barn.
United Airlines announced that it’s invested $30 million in U.S.-based alternative fuels developer Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc., a pioneer in the development and commercialization of converting municipal solid waste into low-cost sustainable aviation biofuel. The New York Times reports that United will begin operating flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco sometime this summer using the biofuel. That makes United the first airline in the U.S. to operate regularly scheduled flights using alternative jet fuel.
Airplane emissions are not only bad for the environment — they’re also bad for humans, at least that’s what the Environmental Protection Agency says in a recent report.
United's Executive Vice President and General Counsel Brett Hart said:
"We know alternative fuels is an emerging industry that is vital to the future of aviation and this is just one of our initiatives to help make these fuels saleable and scalable. Investing in alternative fuels is not only good for the environment, it's a smart move for our company as biofuels have the potential to hedge against future oil price volatility and carbon regulations."
According to Fulcrum, its biofuel slashes an airline’s carbon emissions by 80% compared with traditional jet fuel. The deal means that United and Fulcrum will develop up to five biofuel facilities near major transportation hubs, with production expected to top out at 180 million gallons of fuel a year. United can also buy at least 90 million gallons of fuel from Fulcrum over the next 10 years at a “cost that is competitive with conventional jet fuel.”
China’s Hainan Airlines fueled a flight from Shanghai to Beijing earlier this year with a mix of conventional jet fuel and biofuel made from cooking oil collected from restaurants.