Lufthansa and Airbus begin biofuel flights begin

Posted by John McHale
BLAGNAC, France, 19 July 2011. Commercial passenger flights powered by biofuel have begun on Lufthansa Airbus A321 jets. The four return daily flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt will use a biofuel blend using 50 percent Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA).
The launch follows approval for the use of this type of fuel by the world fuels standards body -- ASTM -- and publication of the approved standards earlier this month.
The aircraft is uses IAE engines (International Aero Engines). Airbus will provide technical assistance and monitor the fuel properties. The daily flights will initially continue for six months as part of the 'Burn Fair' R&T project to study the long term impact of sustainable biofuels on aircraft performance.
The renewable aviation biofuel is being provided by Finland-based Neste Oil and all of the renewable raw materials used to produce it (NExBTL) comply with the European Union's sustainability criteria and are traceable back to their source.
Airbus has helped set up five value chain projects with airlines, stakeholders, and refiners around the world to help speed up the commercialization of aviation biofuels with a target to have one in every continent by 2012.