Virgin Atlantic 747 test flight to use algae-based B20 biodiesel, report says

In the UK, it has been reported by Flight International that Boeing and Virgin Atlantic have selected algae-based biodiesel as the feedstock for the B20 flight trial of a Virgin Atlantic 747 between London and Amsterdam later this month. Boeing has denied the reports, although they acknowledged that algae is one of four finalists along with three unnamed plant-based feedstocks. Boeing’s director of environmental performance, Bill Glover, said that commercial production would not begin until at least 2013.

The flight will involve a crew only and will take the plane from London to Amsterdam. The use of B20 will not require any modifications to the General Electric CF6 engines. The test, resulting from a collaboration between Virgin, Boeing and General Electric, will be mirrored by another test next month by Air New Zealand.

Boeing has confirmed in tests that a wide range of feedstocks can produce biofuels suitable for jet aircraft, and the company says that these biofuels can be commercially produced on an economically viable basis. Boeing said that it expects to offer both financial and technical support to what it sees as a growing distribution system of jet biofuels.

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