Fill’er up, please! Kerosene-based fuels may soon give way to biofuel. Photo: Sascheporsche / Wikimedia
Fuel has been a big issue for airlines, both in terms of cost, and in terms of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions…and the airlines are getting serious about it. This past week, United took two big steps, investing $30 million in one biofuel producer, and contracting to buy 90 million gallons a year from another.
United is not the only one interested; other airlines have experimented with alcohol-based fuels, and even such biofuels as re-processed french fry oil. Alaska has been involved in both of those initiatives. (Gumbo News, 5/17/15). Alaska’s supplier, Gevco, is waiting approval to begin shipping to Alaska.
United’s investment in Fulcrum BioEnergy will help it produce 180 million gallons of fuel from solid waste for United each year. The other supplier is AltAir, both operating in California. United says it will first use the biofuels on California flights originating in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Eventually it may use biofuels elsewhere, but it’s easiest to start where they are produced. Over time, they could be produced nearly anywhere that solid waste is available for processing. Which is…well, everywhere.
