Airbus has joined with Virgin Australia in studying the possibility of producing sustainable jet fuel out of eucalyptus trees.
The consortium, which also includes the Future Farm Industries CRC, aims to have an alternative fuel pilot plant operating in Australia within the next year. The effort is focusing on a thermal conversion process known as Pyrolysis that would refine feedstock from eucalyptus mallee trees into aviation biofuel.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
Airbus will focus on getting Pyrolysis-based fuels approved by the world’s fuels standards authorities, which do not currently recognise such fuels, Airbus said in a statement.
The mallee trees will be grown in Western Australia’s wheat belt.