Sugar-based biofuel flight on 19th June, to coincide with Rio+20, purporting to be “sustainable”
Here’s a depressing story. Using jet fuel derived from sugarcane, and therefore not separate from food production, Azul Brazilian Airlines will put on a flight on 19th June. They say how desirable using sugarcane is for jet fuel, as it “can be produced sustainably in large-scale quantities in Brazil and other tropical countries.” And that jet fuel from sugarcane has “emission reduction potential”. This flight, to coincide with Rio+20 is just greenwash, and the industry capitalising on a marketing opportunity for a form of fuel is actually not sustainable, and that competes with land that could and should be used for food production..
Renewable Jet Fuel Flight Scheduled During Rio+20 Environment Conference in Brazil
Amyris’s Sugarcane-Derived Jet Fuel Ready to be Used in Azul’s EMBRAER 195 Powered by GE’s CF34 Engines
4.6.2012
SAO PAULO, Brazil,
(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Azul Airlines joined Amyris, Embraer and GE in announcing today that Amyris’s innovative renewable jet fuel sourced from Brazilian sugarcane has successfully passed all required testing and will be used during a demonstration flight on an Azul E195 aircraft powered by GE’s CF34-10E engines. The “Azul+Verde” (a Greener Blue) flight will take place in Brazil on Tuesday, June 19th, during the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.
Amyris’s renewable jet fuel has been designed to be compliant with Jet A/A-1 fuel specifications and provide equivalent performance versus conventional petroleum-derived fuel in a range of metrics, including fit-for-purpose properties and greenhouse gas emission reduction potential. The feedstock for the renewable jet fuel is sugarcane, a highly desirable biomass that can be produced sustainably in large-scale quantities in Brazil and other tropical countries.
The companies will provide additional information about the flight plans shortly, following authorization from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC).
Here is their brazen publicity blurb …….
About Azul Airlines
Azul Brazilian Airlines has changed the landscape of Brazilian commercial aviation. With over 10% domestic market share, Azul is the third largest airline in Brazil, connecting 48 destinations, 47 cities, with over 400 daily flights. In addition to 52 Brazilian cities served by the company’s aircraft, Azul serves 8 additional points via convenient bus connections. Azul currently operates a fleet of 54 aircraft including 42 jets (32 Embraer 195 and 10 Embraer 190s) and 12 turboprops (7 ATR 72-600 and 5 ATR 72-200). To date, Azul has served more than 19 million customers. Its mission: to stimulate air travel and boost the Brazilian economy using a simple formula: low prices and high quality service. The company’s success has drawn recognition not only within Brazil, but internationally: In 2011, Azul was voted the ‘Best Airline in Brazil’ by both Travel and Tourism and Flight Revue magazines; Awarded title of ‘Best Low-Cost Airline in Latin America’ by Skytrax; was recognized as ‘One of The World’s 30 Hottest Brands’ by Advertising Age in New York. Learn more at www.voeazul.com.br.
About Amyris
Amyris is an integrated renewable products company focused on providing sustainable alternatives to a broad range of petroleum-sourced products. Amyris uses its industrial synthetic biology platform to convert plant sugars into a variety of hydrocarbon molecules – flexible building blocks that can be used in a wide range of products. Amyris is commercializing these products both as No Compromise® renewable ingredients in cosmetics, flavors and fragrances, polymers, lubricants and consumer products, and also as No Compromise renewable diesel and jet fuel. Amyris Brasil Ltda., a subsidiary of Amyris, oversees the establishment and expansion of Amyris’s production in Brazil. More information about Amyris is available at www.amyris.com.
The Amyris, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=12462
About Embraer
Embraer S.A. is the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial jets up to 120 seats, and one of Brazil’s leading exporters. Headquartered in Sao Jose dos Campos, Sao Paulo, it has offices, industrial operations and customer service facilities in Brazil, China, France, Portugal, Singapore, and the U.S. Embraer designs, develops, manufactures and sells aircraft and systems for the commercial aviation, executive aviation, and defense and security segments. It also provides after sales support and services to customers worldwide. For more information, please visit www.embraer.com.
About GE
GE works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ge.com. GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE, is a world-leading provider of jet, turboprop and turboshaft engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings. For more information, visit www.geaviation.com.
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Aviation biofuel hype in the Guardian – by a lobbyist for agribusiness and biofuel
Date added: May 17, 2012
Ben Caldecott works for an organisation that is owned by a large company that makes it money from the sugar industry, hence the bias in his article.
Ben Caldecott, who is – surprisingly and depressingly – a trustee of the Green Alliance, has written in the Guardian of his support for biofuels as the future for aviation. This appears to be a re-hash of an article he did almost three years ago, and does not appear to take on board the serious reservations there are now about the environmental, climate and social impacts of biofuels. He proposes that air travel will need to expand for business and pleasure, and biofuels will solve the aviation industry’s problem. He says, without ever mentioning which biofuel he is considering, and where they will come from, that key airports like Heathrow, Dubai, New York and Hong Kong will need to be using fuel contining an increasing amount of biofuel. It turns out that he works for an organisation that has just been taken over by a big agribusiness and biofuels company. And the Committee on Climate Change expects at the most 10% aviation biofuel by 2050.