Virgin Flies Biofuel Assisted B747 Test Flight

Virgin Atlantic recently flew a test flight from London to Amsterdam using a biofuel mixture of palm and babassu oil in one of the test 747's wing tanks.  The flight took place as a result of cooperation between Boeing and General Electric Aviation.   

Environmental groups called the event a stunt, claiming that biofuels threaten food crops and even potentially damaging the environment.  In this case Virgin responded by indicating that they were committed to green technologies and fuel sources and that neither of the components of the biofuel used were food stocks.  I think the flight was a true test program success.   It also sets commercial footing for another of Sir Richard Bransons enterprises.

Virgin has a company that produces biofuels in the form of ethanol in the United States.  I wrote about this in a previous article here at freightdawg.com.   Virgin Green Fund has made a $100 million dollar investment into the development of a variety of biofuels.

Where the environmentalists may have a point is with use of corn in North America as a feedstock for ethanol production. Corn is a primary food source for cattle and poultry production. Farmers who sell their corn for ethanol production limit the amount of corn available for food.  This drives up the cost of feed and ultimately the cost of food at the grocery store.    In developing countries this can be a very bad thing.   Development of biofuels through use of non food substances such as algae may be the better way to go long term, though some scientists doubt that enough algae can be grown and sustained to meet commercial demand.

clipped from www.theaustralian.news.com.au LONDON: The world's first commercial aircraft to be powered partly by biofuel flew into controversy yesterday as environmental campaigners denounced the inaugural flight as a publicity stunt. The Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 flew from London to Amsterdam, with one of its fourmain tanks carrying 80 per cent standard jet fuel and a 20per cent mix of coconut and babassu oil. Virgin Atlantic chief Richard Branson said the passengerless test flight was a historic step towards using biofuels on commercial flights, with the aim of reducing carbon emissions. But he said fully commercial biofuel flights, still a few years away, were more likely to use feedstocks such as algae than the coconut and babassu oil mix. The fuel was developed in partnership with Boeing, engine-maker General Electric and energy company Imperium Renewables. Environmental groups say biofuel crops are raising food costs in developing countries, damaging the environment and displacing indigenous people.

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Comments

[Justin]

Got to love those Environmental groups!! This group must only support the initiative for cars to run solely on air or magic!! I love the part about them calling this a “stunt” and that it will just increase our food price. Again, they nailed this one…I will be PISSED if the price of the Palm Tree’s that I eat end up costing me an arm and a leg!! I would have had more respect for them if they were crying about the tree that they are hugging was the Palm Tree and that is why they were against it.