Greentech Lead China: Boeing and Commercial Aircraft
Corp. of China (COMAC) have announced that Hangzhou Energy
Engineering & Technology, Co., Ltd., (HEET) will conduct the first research
project in Boeing-COMAC technology center.
HEET, a company with experience developing alternative
energy technologies, will focus on ways to convert discarded cooking oil into a
component of sustainable aviation biofuel at the Boeing – COMAC Aviation Energy
Conservation and Emissions Reductions Technology Center.
The project aims to identify contaminants in waste
cooking oil, which often is described in China as “gutter
oil,” and processes that may treat and clean it for use as jet fuel.
The focus of the project for the first year will be to
demonstrate the feasibility of achieving significant cost reduction in
converting gutter oils and other waste oils into jet fuel through improvement
of conversion efficiency and associated technology.
Funded by Boeing and COMAC, the center was opened in
August at COMAC’s new Beijing Aeronautical Science and Technology Research
Institute (BASTRI).
“As one of the member organizations of COMAC, BASTRI
was built for carrying out civil aviation industry research and we aim at
expanding knowledge in sustainable aviation biofuels and carbon emissions
reduction,” said Qin Fuguang, president of BASTRI, COMAC.
“China is the world’s fastest growing aviation
market and the biggest consumer of cooking oil. There’s great potential for
converting the waste cooking oil into sustainable aviation fuel,” Fuguang
added. “It’s a good opportunity for Boeing, HEET and COMAC to work together and
make efforts to protect the environment.”
The Boeing-COMAC technology center is working
with China-based universities and research institutions to expand
knowledge in areas such as sustainable aviation biofuels and air traffic
management that improve commercial aviation’s efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
“HEET is a strong partner for the Boeing-COMAC
technology center’s ‘gutter oil’ research project,” said Dong Yang
Wu, vice president of Boeing Research & Technology – China. “We
are excited about opportunities to partner with leading research capabilities
in China to accelerate the global push for renewable jet fuels and
support commercial aviation’s growth while reducing its environmental
footprint.”
Waste cooking oil shows potential as a feedstock for
sustainable aviation biofuel production and an alternative to petroleum-based
fuel because China annually consumes approximately 29 million tons of
cooking oil, while its aviation system uses 20 million tons of jet fuel.
Finding more efficient ways to convert “gutter oil” into jet fuel could
increase regional biofuel supplies and improve biofuel’s affordability,
enhancing the potential for commercial use.