ACI-NA Joins Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative

On October 23 and 24, 2006, an aviation alternative fuels workshop sponsored by the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) was held at the campus of Georgia Tech in Atlanta. CAAFI is a joint effort being undertaken by ACI-NA, AIAA, ATA and FAA.

The workshop brought together approximately 80 representatives of airlines, airframe and engine manufacturers, fuel suppliers, academics and regulators to exchange information about the current status of alternative aviation fuels and lay out plans for their future development and introduction into service as supplements or substitutes for traditional petroleum-based Jet-A. The workshop also identified related research needs for FAA's aviation environmental Center of Excellence, called PARTNER.

Given the recent price volatility of jet-A, renewed research into alternative fuels has been underway in various forums. Two prospects seem viable, to differing degrees. The most promising process is called the Fisher-Tropsch (F-T) process, which is a modern variant on the method used to produce large quantities of aviation fuel by Germany during WWII and by South Africa during the apartheid embargoes.

F-T fuel is thought to be very likely to be interchangeable with jet-A in aircraft and fuel supply infrastructure, although additional research is needed to fully confirm this. F-T fuel can be derived from natural gas, coal, oil tars, shale oil or other petroleum feed stocks. Because of abundant supplies, coal is a favorite candidate for production, but the biggest issue to be addressed with F-T fuels derived from coal is the large amount of CO2 released during the gasification stage.

Aside from the emission of large amounts of CO2 that would need sequestration during production, F-T fuel offers the potential to reduce emissions of SOx, HC, NOx, CO2 and particulates when it is burned, which would be highly advantageous for airports struggling with air quality issues.

The second prospective alternative fuel is a variant on bio-diesel, designed for use in aircraft. The bio-fuel has the advantage of not producing so much CO2 during production and of being seen as renewable. However, there are unresolved questions about the total energy required to make bio-fuel, the land use impacts of large scale production and difficulty in meeting the fuel freeze point requirement for aviation use.

Also, bio-fuels are not likely to be substantially better than current jet-A at reducing criteria pollutants when burned (with the possible exception of SOx). However, if bio-fuel is used as an F-T feed stock, the

F-T advantages of reducing emissions can be achieved, although at lower yields and higher costs.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has a major interest in alternative fuels to reduce dependence on foreign supplies and assure fuel security. DOD is sponsoring considerable research and is issuing an RFP for 200 million gallons per year for several years with the intent of operationally evaluating a 50% mix across their fleet through 2011.

Commercial airlines are interested in having stable fuel pricing, in the face of recent past price increases and volatility and indicated their interest would be drive largely by price stability. Major airlines, including Virgin Atlantic and Jet Blue have expressed their support for the effort.

Airports seem to have two primary interests: the potential for reduced LTO emissions and assuring compatibility with existing airport fuel storage and distribution infrastructure. The workshop identified research needs in both areas, which are either underway or need future funding.

For additional information, contact Dick Marchi.