ASTM biofuel approval releases jet fuel stash
US standards agency, ASTM International, has approved a new specification for biofuels as part of the synthetic aviation fuels standard.
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In an annex to the main D7566 standard, blends of up to 50/50 biofuel and conventional Jet-A will be allowed. The revised standard, announced at the beginning of July, allows for "Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids" or HEFA fuel, which can be derived from a number of bio sources including camelina plants, jatropha or algea.
The fuels tested under D7566 also meet the older D1655 "Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuels" standard and will allow immediate integration of the two.
The revised standard is good news for the airline industry, which is under increasing political pressure to reduce emissions, and the biofuel producers. Almost immediately after the new standard was announced, California-based Biojet announced it was releasing one billion gallons of biofuel at a price of $2.97/gallon.
Biojet's motivation was, according to the company, to "aid in the development" of the market in aviation biofuels, although there is little doubt that the quantity and speed of the release will stand the company in good stead to capitalise on the new standard. The company has set a course for a $6bn, 10-year investment programme in supply chain, kicked-off by a $1.2bn funding facility sourced earlier this year.
