Virgin Atlantic to Demo Biofuel Flight, but Not Quite There Yet
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02.21.08
We've written about Richard Branson and Virgin's foray into biofuels for aviation. There are some news on that front, but unfortunately they aren't all good. Virgin was never clear on what type of biofuel it was going to use, but it said it wanted something "truly sustainable" that did not compete with food and fresh water resources.
It seems like it's not quite what we're going to get for the first flight this month: "it will not be an algae or halophyte-derived alternative, second-generation biofuels that come from renewable and sustainable feedstocks. Rather, it will be a first-generation biofuel whose feedstock is generally understood to compete with either land and water use for food crops or carbon sinks such as rainforests." But this is still partly good news.
The reason why there's cause to celebrate is that this test flight will still move forward research on cleaner fuels for planes. It will also help make the issue more visible and maybe other airlines will follow suit in the same way that the Toyota Prius hybrid paved the way in the late 1990s. As oil keeps getting more expensive and new carbon taxes and cap-and-trade plans appear on the horizon, having access to low-carbon fuels might become a big competitive advantage.
We encourage Virgin to not give up on finding truly sustainable second-generation biofuels (made from algae, for example) that don't compete with food and fresh water resources. Anything less is too big a compromise and won't be truly green.
The next big step might be flying wings. Who knows?
Update: Seems like some plane enthusiasts are reading TreeHugger. Apparently first photo above is a doctored image. We found it by doing a search for "virgin boeing 747" and didn't know that there are no double-decker 747. Sorry, our bad. We're leaving the photo because it seems to be a good conversation piece for commenters!
::Virgin biofuel demonstration to use first generation feedstock: Boeing, via ::GreenCarCongress
See also: ::Syntec Biofuel: Closer to Fuel from Waste, ::X-48B Blended Wing Body Research Aircraft Has Lift-Off, ::Blended Wing Concept 3000 Times Quieter, 35% More Efficient, ::Where Do Airplanes Go When They Die?
Is that a doctored photo? I've never seen a double decker 747 (that had a complete upper deck).
If it is doctored...it would be wise to make that clear. Otherwise it looks like the picture has dubious intentions.
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ed note: Photo was found as is on Google Images. Maybe it was doctored, but not by us.
Great article, and I really hope Virgin pulls it off. However, the photo is a fake - there is no full double-decker 747. More faked photos here at AIR FAKES ONE: http://rides.webshots.com/album/553048224QNrgko
Still, I'm rooting for Virgin!
FYI the site that has that picture (www.2timothy42.org/Aviation/index.php) also states:
Modified Airliners Photos from CarDatabase.net
These planes are HILARIOUS!!! - Click on the photos for larger images.
How would you like to fly on one of these?
Please note to those who aren't aviation enthusiasts these are not real planes.
The post has been updated. See near the end.
Haha, I was just going to ask about the photo, didn't look like an A380 or a 747...Anyway, I'm really glad to hear hat someone is having a critical look at such an carbon inefficient transportation method...
Have you guys ever considered whether you might want some pre-posting oversight? You could do this laterally, where you send your post to another Treehugger blogger for signoff before you post, or vertically.
Where I work, before we make changes to published documents, we have both, and that's preferable - but at least lateral editorial review would probably benefit you guys quite a bit. There are a *lot* of typos and nasty grammar problems getting through to posts that this would clear up pretty quickly.
On the 747 picture, most anyone who flies regularly will know there's no such thing as a full double-decker 747. Editorial review would double your chances of catching such an error.
It really is this stuff that keeps blogs viewed separately, in quality, from the 'mainstream media'. And wasn't it Stewart Brand who said that living like you're in the future already makes adapting to it easier?
Richard Branson truly is a pioneer in many fields: aviation, entrepreneurship and philanthropy.
Boeing have told me that they are only interested in using second generation biofuels, with algae the most favourable biostock. They reckon that these biofuels will enter aviation service within 5-7 years. The blend will be around 10% biofuel to 90% jet-A kerosene initially to overcome initial airline fears. The Virgin flight (from London to Amsterdam)will have one of the four 747 engines filled with an (unconfirmed) 20/80 blend. The next biofuel flight, an Air New Zealand 747 later in the year, will try out different biostocks.