Aircraft manufacturer Boeing is joining forces with the Swiss Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) to tackle sustainability standards for biomass jet fuel.

The partners have created the Sustainable Biomass Consortium to bring together voluntary standards and regulatory requirements for biomass used to produce jet fuel and lower the costs of certification.

The Consortium will work closely with the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB), which was established by EPFL, which has developed sustainability standards and a certification system.

Research efforts will begin in April this year and will include projects in China, Africa, the EU, Latin America, North America and Australasia.

“With increasing environmental, regulatory and social pressures on aviation, having harmonized standards for sustainable biofuel development is crucial,” says Billy Glover of Boeing.

“Our industry needs these fuel sources and this consortium will help ensure we have a transparent way to collaborate among certification processes,” he adds.

For further information:
www.boeing.com
www.newairplane.com/environment
energycenter.epfl.ch

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BA announces plans for waste-to-biofuel plant in London (16-Feb 2010)
Two aviation consortia launch biofuel trials (18-Jan 2010)