TAM Airlines and Airbus Test Jatropha-based Biofuel

TAM Airlines, together with Airbus, has conducted a Jatropha-based biofuel flight using an Airbus A320.

The biofuel, processed by UOP LLC, a Honeywell group, was a 50% blend of locally-sourced Brazilian Japtropha-based bio-kerosene and conventional aviation kerosene.

20 people from TAM Airlines and Airbus were on board the A320 powered by CFM56 engines which took off from Galeão Antonio Carlos Jobim International airport in Rio de Janeiro. The aircraft performed a 45 minute flight before returning to its point of origin.

"Airbus and TAM have taken an important step towards establishing an aviation biofuel solution that is both commercially viable and sustainable, with positive impact on the environment," said Airbus’ President and CEO, Tom Enders. “This flight serves as evidence of the aviation industry's commitment to advance on its self-imposed CO2 reduction targets: carbon neutral growth from 2020, and working towards a 50% net CO2 reduction by 2050.”

“This experimental flight materializes TAM’s participation in a vast project to develop a production chain for renewable biofuel, with the purpose of creating a Brazilian platform for sustainable aviation bio-kerosene,” said Libano Barroso, president of TAM Airlines.

Studies show that the use of biofuels made from Jatropha in aviation could reduce the sector’s overall carbon footprint by up to 80%, compared with conventional petroleum-based aviation kerosene.

The technical flight was approved by Airbus, the engine provider CFM International, and was authorized by aviation authorities in Europe (the European Aviation Safety Agency - EASA), and Brazil (National Civil Aviation Agency - ANAC).

 In addition to its efforts with TAM Airlines, in February 2008, an Airbus A380 aircraft successfully completed the first ever flight by a commercial aircraft using Gas-to-Liquid (GTL), and in October 2009 Airbus and Qatar Airways undertook the first commercial flight of 50% blended GTL.

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