GE joins consortium to invest in eucalyptus biofuel
12 September
GE has announced it will join a consortium of partners, including Virgin Australia, to research and develop aviation biofuel made from Mallee gums.
The project will focus on a process called pyrolytic conversion – heat without oxygen – to manufacture commercial quantities of aviation fuel from the biomass of Mallee eucalypts. The consortium aims to have a pilot production facility working in Australia by 2012.
Other consortium partners include Future Farm Industries CRC and Renewable Oil Corporation from Australia, and Canada’s Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation.
CSIRO has estimated that over the next 20 years biofuels could cut the aviation industry’s greenhouse emissions by 17 per cent, reduce Australia’s dependence on imported oil and create 12,000 new jobs.GE Australia’s director of ecomagination, Ben Waters, said such innovative projects were a key part of the transition to a low carbon future.
“We [GE] already invest a huge amount in the development of more efficient and alternative energy sources in the aviation industry and beyond, and we hope to bring a huge amount of knowledge to this partnership,” Mr Waters said.
GE is also working on fuel efficient jet engines as part of its sustainable transport portfolio.
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