Neste and Boeing to lead the industry on commercialization of renewable aviation fuels

Neste, the leading producer of renewable diesel and Boeing, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer will work together to promote and accelerate the commercialization of renewable aviation fuel. The companies will work toward American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) fuel standard approval allowing the commercial use of high freezing point renewable aviation fuel by airlines. The goal is also to gain widespread market acceptance for renewable aviation fuels, and to progress sustainability accreditation efforts.

Neste anticipates that its high-quality renewable aviation fuel could help the aviation industry to achieve its greenhouse gas saving targets: carbon-neutral growth from 2020 and a net reduction in carbon emissions of 50% by 2050 compared to 2005.

“Airlines and airplane manufacturers are undertaking several initiatives to lower the industry’s carbon footprint, and renewable aviation fuel will be a key part of their long-term environmental solution,” says Kaisa Hietala, Neste’s Executive Vice President of Renewable Products. “We are very excited to work with Boeing, in order to help create a commercially viable market for renewable aviation fuels”.

“Boeing is proud to collaborate with Neste, a global leader in renewable fuel production, to meet our shared goals of expanding the supply and reducing the cost of sustainable aviation biofuel,” says Julie Felgar, Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ Managing Director of Environmental Strategy & Integration. “The aviation industry is committed to making air travel more sustainable.”

In 2014, Boeing successfully tested Neste’s renewable aviation fuel in a 15% blend with petroleum jet fuel in the Boeing ecoDemonstrator 787, a test airplane that assesses technologies that can reduce aviation’s environmental footprint. The 787 made an initial flight with this biofuel blend in one engine, followed by several flights with the biofuel blend in both engines. Based on its test flights, Boeing reported that “the airplane performed as designed with the renewable jet blend, just as it does with conventional jet fuel”.

Produced entirely from renewable and sustainable raw materials, Neste’s renewable aviation fuel will provide significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%; in addition, the fuel is free of aromatics and sulfur, which should result in cleaner turbine exhaust emissions. Neste’s renewable aviation fuel is energy dense and has good thermal stability properties making it an excellent blending component.

Source: Neste Corporation, press release, 2015-11-04.