Boeing says its fleet will be able to fly 100% biofuel by 2030

SEATTLE (Reuters) – Boeing Co said on Friday that it will begin delivering commercial planes capable of flying 100% biofuel by the end of the decade, calling reducing the environmental damage from fossil fuels the “challenge of our lives”.

Boeing’s goal – which requires advances in jet systems, increased fuel mixing requirements and safety certification by global regulators – is central to an industry’s broader goal of halving carbon emissions by 2050, said the US aircraft manufacturer.

“It is a tremendous challenge, it is the challenge of our life,” Boeing’s Director of Sustainability Strategy, Sean Newsum, told Reuters. “Aviation is committed to doing its part to reduce its carbon footprint.”

Commercial flights currently account for about 2% of global carbon emissions and about 12% of transport emissions, according to data cited by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG).

Boeing essentially has only a decade to reach its goal because planes that go into operation in 2030 will normally remain in operation until 2050.

The world’s largest aerospace company must also face the task hindered by the coronavirus pandemic and the 20-month stranding of its best-selling jet plane after fatal accidents, which has exhausted its finances and engineering resources.

Boeing is not starting from scratch. In 2018, she performed the world’s first commercial airplane flight using 100% biofuel on a FedEx Corp 777 freighter.

Boeing and European rival Airbus SE are also working to reduce carbon emissions by reducing weight and drag on new aircraft.

As it stands now, biofuels are blended directly with conventional jet fuel to a 50/50 blend, which is the maximum allowed by current fuel specifications, Boeing said.

Boeing must first determine what changes to make to allow a safe flight on alternative fuels derived from used vegetable oil, animal fat, sugar cane, waste and other sources.

Boeing needs to work with groups that define fuel specifications, such as ASTM International, to increase the blending limit to allow for expanded use and then convince aviation regulators worldwide to certify planes as safe, he said. Boeing.