September 29, 2010
BY Luke Geiver
Cranfield
University, a U.K.-based postgraduate institution, has formed the Sustainable
Use of Renewable Fuels consortium, and several large aviation and
transportation companies have signed on. Airbus, British Airways, Rolls-Royce,
Finnair, Gatwick Airport and the air transport association (IATA) have agreed
to participate in the university’s Sea Green project, aimed at addressing
several concerns associated with making a microalgae-based biofuel into a reality.
“SURF came about through a collective desire by the parties to deliver a
unified approach to accelerate the availability of biofuels in aviation,”
according to Naomie Stanford-Jones, executive of corporate communications. “By
working together to offer industry expertise to the Sea Green project, SURF
aims to ensure the development satisfies the demands of the aviation industry.”
The
SURF consortium will look at five major areas including: environmental impact,
processing, capability and distribution and commercial/legislation regulation.
Stanford-Jones said the project will combine the university’s “internationally
recognized expertise in large-scale renewable energy and offshore engineering
and biotechnology, with extensive work already underway.”
A
pilot plant located on campus is currently growing and processing algae for
biofuels, but the hope is to eventually move the Sea Green Project into a
large-scale facility near the ocean in order to rapidly grow algae. The move is
expected to take three years.
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“Airbus
is a catalyst for the implementation of sustainable alternative fuels, and we
continue to investigate all options for the production of biofuels,” Paul Nash,
Airbus head of new energies, said. “Industry initiatives like SURF demonstrate
our commitment to reducing emissions.” The SURF participants, Stanford-Jones
said, will act as an advisory group, sharing knowledge from company and
individual experience, and that of relevant industry special interest groups
“to inform critical decision-making on business and technology issues.” Future
studies by the university will also look at sustainability modeling and
life-cycle assessments of the growing method.
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