UOP’s process technology was used to convert oil from camelina, an inedible plant, to green jet fuel for the flight. One engine of a Boeing 747 was powered by a fuel mixture consisting of a 50/50 mix of the green jet fuel and traditional petroleum-derived jet fuel.
“Biofuels provide an important option to meeting the rapid growth in energy demand, while effectively balancing social and environmental needs,” Jennifer Holmgren, vice president and general manager of UOP’s renewable energy and chemicals business unit, said. “KLM shares a vision with UOP and others that green jet fuel can help meet the airline industry’s goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
UOP’s green jet fuel process technology was originally developed in 2007 under a contract from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to produce renewable military jet fuel for the US military. The process is based on hydroprocessing technology commonly used in today’s refineries to produce transportation fuels. In this process, hydrogen is added to remove oxygen from natural oils produced from sustainable feedstocks including camelina, jatropha and algae.
The UOP process produces a green jet fuel that is blended with petroleum-based fuel. When used up to a 50% blend with petroleum-derived jet fuel, the green jet fuel is a drop-in replacement that requires no changes to the aircraft technology and meets all of the critical specifications for flight, including a freeze point at -47 degrees Celsius and a flash point at 38 degrees Celsius.
Camelina, the biofeedstock which was converted to make the green jet fuel, is an inedible plant that grows in conditions where other food crops cannot, is considered a sustainable resource because its cultivation and harvesting do not tax valuable food, land or water resources.
