Qatar Airways yesterday undertook the world's first commercial flight using a fuel made partly from natural gas that promises to improve air quality and could curb carbon emissions.
The Airbus flight from London Gatwick to Doha used a 50:50 blend of synthetic gas-to-liquid (GTL) kerosene and conventional oil-based kerosene, which has been developed by Shell.
The company said that the GTL fuel burns with close to zero sulphur dioxide emissions and far lower particulate emissions, and as such could be used to help improve air quality around airports.
The fuel is also believed to have a slightly higher fuel density than conventional kerosene and as a result could deliver cuts in carbon emissions when the fuel is burned.
Overall, the full lifecycle of the GTL blend has a carbon footprint that is "comparable" to conventional aviation fuels, but it is thought that there is potential to reduce emissions through the production process for the fuel and as a result it could ultimately result in net carbon savings.
Qatar is currently working on a major new project to develop GTL jet fuel in commercial quantities. The Pearl GTL plant, which is currently under construction by Qatar Petroleum and Shell, is expected to produce around one million tonnes per annum of GTL kerosene from 2012, enough to power a typical commercial airliner for half a billion kilometres when used in a 50 per cent blend with conventional fuel.
Rainer Ohler, senior vice president for public affairs and communications at Airbus, said that as well as demonstrating that cleaner-burning GTL fuels are viable, the flight will also provide a boost to other projects working to develop aviation biofuels that could deliver deep cuts in carbon emissions.
"The journey from the A380's historic first GTL flight by a civil aircraft to today's historic first passenger flight using GTL, shows that drop in fuels are real and viable," he said. "This is a major breakthrough that brings us closer to a world where fuels made from feedstocks such as wood-chip waste and other biomass are available for commercial aviation. Airbus predicts that in 2030, up to 30 per cent of jet fuel will be alternative."
The Airbus flight from London Gatwick to Doha used a 50:50 blend of synthetic gas-to-liquid (GTL) kerosene and conventional oil-based kerosene, which has been developed by Shell.
The company said that the GTL fuel burns with close to zero sulphur dioxide emissions and far lower particulate emissions, and as such could be used to help improve air quality around airports.
The fuel is also believed to have a slightly higher fuel density than conventional kerosene and as a result could deliver cuts in carbon emissions when the fuel is burned.
Overall, the full lifecycle of the GTL blend has a carbon footprint that is "comparable" to conventional aviation fuels, but it is thought that there is potential to reduce emissions through the production process for the fuel and as a result it could ultimately result in net carbon savings.
Qatar is currently working on a major new project to develop GTL jet fuel in commercial quantities. The Pearl GTL plant, which is currently under construction by Qatar Petroleum and Shell, is expected to produce around one million tonnes per annum of GTL kerosene from 2012, enough to power a typical commercial airliner for half a billion kilometres when used in a 50 per cent blend with conventional fuel.
Rainer Ohler, senior vice president for public affairs and communications at Airbus, said that as well as demonstrating that cleaner-burning GTL fuels are viable, the flight will also provide a boost to other projects working to develop aviation biofuels that could deliver deep cuts in carbon emissions.
"The journey from the A380's historic first GTL flight by a civil aircraft to today's historic first passenger flight using GTL, shows that drop in fuels are real and viable," he said. "This is a major breakthrough that brings us closer to a world where fuels made from feedstocks such as wood-chip waste and other biomass are available for commercial aviation. Airbus predicts that in 2030, up to 30 per cent of jet fuel will be alternative."
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