Clear skies ahead

Since 1990 emissions from aviation have increased by 90%. Aviation will account for 5% of total global warming by 2050. With these terrifying figures, it is no wonder that Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Atlantic used his position as a speaker at last week's Leaders in Dubai conference to highlight his concern about the impact aviation is having on the environment.

Branson claimed to be horrified after conducting his own research on the impacts of global warming, and announced he would be using US$3bn of profits from his Virgin transportation group, over the next ten years, to find an environmentally friendly biofuel. In addition to this, the British entrepreneur also said he would offer a US$25m prize to anyone who could come up with a solution that would reduce heat-trapping gases from the atmosphere.

But Branson is not the only aviation mogul to worry about the impact flight is having on the environment. Last week ExecuJet Aviation Group, the private jet operators, announced a new partnership with environmental group myclimate, in order to offer its passengers a chance to offset their carbon footprint.

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing is also focusing much of its efforts on reducing the impact flying has on the environment. Jeanne C Yu, director of environmental performance, commercial airplanes for Boeing, tells Arabian Business that more than 75% of it's technology and research budget has tangible environmental benefit.

Like Branson, Boeing's environmental performance team, which has been developing its products for the last 10 years, is concentrating much of its efforts on biofuel and fuel efficiency. According to Yu around 2% of C0₂ emissions in the atmosphere can be blamed on aviation, a small figure when compared to the motoring industry, but one that is steadily rising.

Wherever it is emitted, C0₂ mixes throughout the atmosphere where it remains for approximately 100 years. For every kilogram of fuel not used in the aviation sector, approximately three kilograms of C0₂ are not emitted. Biofuels are plant-based feedstocks which naturally remove C02 from the atmosphere.

Aviation fuel has unique requirements which must provide a high energy content relative to its weight and volume, but the vast majority of the world's engines can use energy from three categories of fuels: synthetics derived from gas, coal and other feedstocks containing hydrocarbons; biofuels from oil based feedstocks such as soy beans, canola and algae; and other alternative fuels including ethanol, methane and liquid hydrocarbon. The race is now on to find an alternative which is both safe and effective.

"Looking at biofuels - one of the most innovative technologies we are looking at - will lead us towards carbon neutral, because everything else is about the traditional, incremental improvements we can make. You can do a lot of other things for fuel efficiency but getting at the energy and fuel part of it, we think, is a great way of turning the problem on its side and looking at it from a different angle," explains Yu.

The Boeing team is currently working on a biofuel demonstration in association with General Electric and Virgin Atlantic, which is due to take place in early 2008. When Boeing first started work on developing biofuels, it had just a handful of fuels which it considered suitable, but following the demonstration announcement it now has more than 200.

"It will take some time for fuel suppliers to develop adequate supplies, get certification and ensure all of the requirements, which is why is it important to have all of the manufacturers on board as well as the certification authorities. Right now we are undergoing a rigorous set of tests to make sure the fuel meets specifications. It takes time and a lot of it is centred around ensuring it is safe and not compromising in any way. I think you will see biofuels in operation within the next decade," says Yu, who is excited at the advancements already made.