British Airways has entered a partnership with US company Solena Group to establish a commercial biomass derived jet fuel facility which will provide the airline with sustainable jet fuel from 2014.
To be situated in east London, the facility will convert 500,000 tonnes of waste per year into 16 million gallons of jet fuel, which offers a 95 per cent reduction in lifecycle emissions compared to petroleum jet fuel. The fuel will then be used to power BA flights from nearby London City Airport, effectively making its operations there carbon neutral.
This unique partnership with Solena will pave the way for realising our ambitious goal of reducing net carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2050,” Willie Walsh, British Airways chief executive, said. “We believe it will lead to the production of a real sustainable alternative to jet kerosene. We are absolutely determined to reduce our impact on climate change and are proud to lead the way on aviation’s environmental initiatives.”
